


Fandom Quest

by Lumos2000, WarblingLion0



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Supernatural, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: F/M, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Bad At Tagging, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2020-03-19 20:21:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 121,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18977674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumos2000/pseuds/Lumos2000, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarblingLion0/pseuds/WarblingLion0
Summary: All Kathryn wanted to do was go to sleep. Too bad she had to be transported to another world. Who knows, maybe she'll change these worlds.Also found on Wattpad.Warnings and more info to be added.





	1. Drifting Away

My name is Kathryn. I’m just an ordinary girl from a small town... Screw that, it’s boring. Yes, that is my story in this world, but that isn’t the story we’re following. We’re going to start where it all began; the day I got my powers. It’s been years now, but it’s still as vivid as ever.

* * *

It was dark outside and raining. Currently, Katy was playing video games until her mother came to tell her to sleep. So far, her game was going well and she had just finished another level. Once the new one started, it was harder than she expected it to be.

“No, no! Aw crap,” she groaned, her character dying. The television screen turned red, the words ‘you died, try again?’ written in bold print. Before she could start again, she heard a noise outside her door.

Diane, her mother, knocked gently on the door before entering into the room. “I thought you had already gone to bed,” the woman spoke, a small smile spreading across her slightly aged but still beautiful face. “Go ahead and get in bed, honey,” she suggested, shutting the door behind her as Katy responded with a soft ‘okay’. There was a hint of disappointment mixed into her tone.

Katy turned off the gaming system and tv, crawling into her bed and getting comfortable as her mother sat at the foot of the bed.

“Can’t I stay up a little longer?” she pouted, sticking her bottom lip out slightly after she spoke, sinking into her bed.

Diane chuckled slightly under her breath, shaking her head. “No, hun. I have to leave for work early tomorrow so I need you to get to sleep and take care of the animals in the morning,” she explained, tucking her daughter into the bed. “Get some sleep, okay?” The mother earned a quiet response from the young girl as she kissed her daughter’s head. “Good night, honey. See you after work tomorrow,” she grinned, getting up and walking to the door.

“Good night, mom,” Katy whispered, yawning as she got comfortable in her bed. After that, the light was turned off and her door shut as her mom left the room.

* * *

She heard the sound of a river flowing steadily and the sounds of bugs, cicadas specifically. She felt the grass beneath her and the bright sun shining down on her. At this moment, she was very relaxed, a small smile even slipping onto her face. She then suddenly realized that the last thing she remembered was that she was going to sleep in her bed at home. Her eyes widened in shock as she sat up on the ground, looking around at her surroundings. There was indeed a river, a very large one that was probably a few miles wide. The sun was indeed shining very brightly, as well as hot too, hotter than usual. She then stood and looked herself over.

Katy noticed she was wearing a dress. It wasn’t a fancy one, or even a day dress like the ones she was used to. This one had one strap across her shoulder holding it up on her body. It was also rougher than the ones back home. The dress itself was white with very few of stains on it, but stains there were nonetheless. Of what, she had no clue. She also had a gold armband in the shape of a snake circling her right arm. When she looked further down, she was wearing sandals that looked hand woven.

‘Where the hell am I?’ she thought to herself, not even noticing the person trying to get her attention. The girl was practically in shock at the moment, trying to figure out where she was and how she got there.

“Kema!” a woman shouted in a foreign language. Katy didn’t understand how, but she understood what this girl was saying. The girl then walked up to Katy and shook her by the shoulders. “Are you alright? Have you been under the Eye of Ra for too long?” The woman placed the back of her hand to Katy’s forehead, still not getting a response. “Kema, we should get you back to your home. Come.” She was not willing to take no for an answer as she gently took Katy’s wrist and lead her back in the direction she came from.

‘Kema? Why is she calling me that... And what's with these outfits? And the Eye of -’ Katy cut herself off mid-thought. ‘Oh my god... I’m... In Egypt?!’ Katy yelled internally, her eyes widening again as she rounded the corner, seeing many others dressed the same way, but the thing that caught her eye the most, was the fact that the pyramids in front of her weren’t finished yet.

“Hurry, the midday meal is about to be served,” the young woman urged Katy, continuing to drag the girl to one of the pyramids since she was currently distracted by all the slaves surrounding her.

“Miss?” Katy inquired. “May I ask for your name?” Katy furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at the young woman. The girl chuckled softly, stopping on the path to look at Katy.

“What do you mean? Have you truly forgotten my name?” she asked, a hint of worry apparent in her voice. Katy only responded with a small nod. The young woman hummed softly. “Tabia is my name... We need to get you inside now, miss. You must have hit your head or have been out in the sun too long,” she told her, gently placing a hand on her back and leading her away.

They walked to one of the nice homes fit for nobles and Tabia led Katy inside to her bedchamber. “Please lay down, miss. I will get you a cloth and inform Anka of your condition,” Tabia explained, quickly walking out of the room and leaving Katy on her own.

“What the hell is going on?” Katy chuckled half-heartedly as she looked around the room.

It was obvious that she wasn’t in her time period or country, or even continent. She was in Egypt, but many years in the past. What worried her the most was that many of these names were foreign and she knew nothing about ancient Egypt, so how could she know all of these things?

“Kema! Are you alright, child? Tabia informed me you hit your head?” A woman asked as she rushed into the room, quickly looking Katy over for any signs of harm. This woman was more than likely Anka. “How do you feel, Kema?” Anka asked kindly, sitting on Katy’s bed.

Katy nodded, rubbing her arm awkwardly. “I feel fine. Sorry to worry you...” Katy responded, not used to the way these people spoke.

The woman was quiet for a moment, nodding afterwards. “Alright. Well, get changed and rest for the day. We will be sharing the evening meal with some guests tomorrow and you must be well. It is of importance,” Anka told her, standing up and speaking again as she headed for the door. “I will have Tabia bring a meal as well, so rest until she returns.” Anka was already out of the room before Katy could respond.

Not knowing what else to do, Katy laid on the bed, closed her eyes, and began to think. Next thing she knew, she jumped in fear and surprise at a bolt of thunder from outside her window. She had woken up, now in her bedroom at home.

“One weird-ass dream...” she mumbled, yawning as she got to her feet and went to get some water then return to bed. “I kinda want to continue that, though... Maybe I’ll be able to lucid dream and change it to a Supernatural dream,” she mused, a small grin on her face as she turned to her side to fall back asleep.

* * *

“Lady Kema,” Tabia interjected as she walked into Katy’s room. “Lady Anka wishes for you to wear this for the evening meal. Shall I assist you with preparations?” she asked in a kind tone, laying the dress on Katy’s bed.

Katy grinned at the girl as she turned away from the window to face her. “No, that is alright, Tabia. I am capable,” she chuckled slightly. Tabia nodded and quickly left the room to give Katy privacy. Once she left the room, Katy groaned in frustration, “Damn it. I thought about Supernatural until I fell asleep! Why am I not having one of those dreams?” She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Supernatural, Supernatural…” she repeated the word a couple more times.

A voice stopped her with whispers of ‘No, not now’. Well, that's what she thought it said. It was so quiet, she couldn’t recognize the voice and couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Katy sighed, pushing her thoughts aside for her to change and do makeup.

Since she had no way to do her hair like she normally would back home, she worked carefully to put her shining blonde hair into a french braid. Though her arms were tired by the second try, she wanted it to look like the best braid she had ever done in her life. The makeup itself looked gorgeous if she did say so herself. Black eyeliner done in a similar way that the Egyptian people were famous for, and emerald green eyeshadow to match the accents in the dress that flattered her figure. She was surprised how much her dark blue orbs brightened, even with all of the make up. But Katy supposed that was the point; to accentuate all natural features.

Once she had finished, Tabia came back into the room. “You look stunning, Kema,” she complemented, smiling. Though the smile was genuine, her eyes held a different story.

Katy ignored the conflict of emotions on her new friends face, returning a smile. “Thank you, Tabia. I am ready to leave now,” Katy informed her, following the woman out of her room.

As they walked down the hall, there were candles on the walls brightening the pathway with small patches of light that didn’t reach very far from the source. The floor and ground were made out of the same substance, but Katy had no idea what it was.

“Ah! You are finally here!” Anka smiled as she quickly got up from her seat, walking over to Katy.

Anka was followed by a younger man whose skin had been kissed by the sun, his hair was as black as the night sky with burnt sienna highlights at the end and his bangs were almost blonde. His eyes were a piercing shade of violet.

“Kema, this is Atem, your betrothed love,” Anka explained, smiling softly as she waited for a response from the girl.

Once Katy saw the man, she was unimpressed. ‘Really? Of all the things my imagination could give me, it’s the protagonist from an anime about a card game?’ She told herself then Anka’s words finally sunk in.

“I’m sorry, Anka. What did you say?” she asked in a confused tone, unsure if she heard the woman correctly.

“You are going to be Atem’s wife, my dear,” Anka answered in a cheerful tone. Before Katy could respond, she started talking again. “You sit and eat, I will fetch some fruit,” she told them, walking away in a rush.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Kema,” Atem told her, gently taking her hand and kissing the top of it. When he pulled away he smiled slightly at her. It seemed forced, which is no surprise. “Shall we feast?” he asked, gesturing for her to sit down next to his seat.

His fingers were surprisingly soft, and his lips weren’t chapped from the sun and heat. Katy finally responded, nodding slightly in return to his gesture. She was unsure how to react, especially to a future Pharaoh.

“Yes, of course,” she responded, taking a seat next to him.

The two had been talking for a few minutes when everyone at the table heard a scream and a crash. Everyone quickly got to their feet with Atem stepping in front of Katy to block the path to her.

Tabia came running back into the room with blood covering her dress. “Kema, ru - ah!” she shouted in pain. Then Katy saw the arrows that had been shot into her back. Tabia collapsed and chaos spread.

“Tabia!” Katy shouted, moving to run towards her.

She was stopped in her tracks by someone grabbing her wrist. When she turned to face the person, it was Atem. He had a look of worry on his face as he dragged her out of the building.

“Atem! Let me go! They are going to die!” she screamed at him, trying to free herself from his grip but to no avail.

“No, Kema! You will die too!” he told her.

He then saw one of the assassins walk past one of the windows close to the door so he quickly let go of her wrist, moving his hand to her back for support and his other hand behind her knees and picked her up, running off towards the river before they got caught. They got to the river shortly after. Once they reached the edge of the water, Atem set her down to her feet.

“Kema? Are you alright?” he asked quietly, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Katy’s body was shaking from shock. Panic spread through her as she had never seen the life pouring out of someone. She was also worried that if she stayed with Atem, he would die too, which isn’t how things are supposed to play out. She shook her head to get herself out of her thoughts, looking up to Atem.

“Yes, I am fine. Thank you for saving me, Atem,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face.

He nodded, looking around their surroundings to make sure they weren’t followed. “Good. now you need to run, run as far away as you ca-” he was cut off mid-sentence by an arrow flying right between their faces, both of their eyes widening.

Without hesitating, Katy grabbed his shoulders and used her body weight to push them into the river before they could be shot at again. While under the water, it was dark, but she could still see the man beneath her. They nodded to each other, and he pushed her away in the direction of the other side of the river and she swam as far as she could before surfacing. When she reached the top, she gasped for air and continued to swim to the other side.

When she reached land, she was panting and exhausted. Her legs had been cramping for a quarter of a mile, but she somehow powered through it. She laid there for what felt like ages before she could get to her feet. Once she was up, she started stumbling away, unsure of where she was even headed.

After a few hours of walking, before the sun had risen, she passed out and fell face first on the ground. Laying there for hours. While she laid still, a merchant for slaves found her, tied her legs together and started to drag her as he continued to travel on his camel.

Katy woke up to a pain in her legs and the sun on her face. When she had gotten out of her half-asleep state, she looked to her legs and saw she was being dragged. Immediately, panic set in and started trying to untie the ropes.

“Hey! What do you think you are doing?” The merchant shouted as he stopped his camel.

“Breaking free! What the hell do you think, you freak!” Katy screamed, getting the ropes untied and quickly took off running.

“Get back here!” The man shouted, getting off of his Camel and starting to run after her.

When he caught up, he tackled her and they rolled down one of the sand dunes. When they got to the bottom, Katy quickly used her fingers to jab his eyes, the merchant yelling in pain. While she had the opportunity, Katy quickly got up and ran up the hill as the man stumbled to his feet, cursing repeatedly as he started to follow her up the hill.

Luckily, she had enough time to get on the camel and take off in the direction he was headed earlier, the man shouting at her as she left him in the dust. When she knew she was far enough away, she pulled back on the lead, slowing the camel down.

“Thanks, Buddy,” she whispered to it, patting its neck softly and it made a small noise in return.

She had fallen asleep while riding the camel. When she awoke, she could see a well. She gasped excitedly, stopped the camel and jumped off before he had gotten all the way to the ground. When she got to the well, she quickly pulled up the bucket and drank the water, not caring if it was clean or not. She was so distracted by her thirst, she didn’t notice the camel walking away.

Once she had drank, she tried to catch up to the camel. As the camel was too far away, she decided it was not worth chasing and went on her journey to who knows where.

She had now been walking for a while and the sun was draining the energy from her. She had no cover and the sand was making it hard for her to walk, draining her even faster. Finally, she saw the silhouette of buildings in the distance and she found the strength to keep walking.

When she reached the small village, the sun was starting to set for day one of her travels. She walked until she found an inn, stumbling into the building and everyone was quiet as they looked at her.

“Water… Please...” she begged, her voice hoarse from lack of water and heat. She fell to her knees, groaning slightly from the pain of hitting the hard flooring.

“Here, miss. Drink this,” a man told her in a gentle tone as he kneeled beside her. “Where did you come from? It seems you have been traveling but were not prepared for the journey,” he asked quietly, patiently waiting for a response.

Katy quickly took the drink from the man, almost like a ravenous animal. Once she had the drink in her hands, she quickly started to chug it, pouring it faster than she could drink, the liquid making her dress wet. When she was finished, she sighed in relief to be in some sort of shelter.

“Faiyum, Egypt. Have you heard of it before?” she gasped, her voice still rough.

The man nodded, looking her over to now notice she’s wearing garments from Egypt. “Yes, young girl. Let me ask you this, did you travel here on foot?” he asked, curiosity laced his voice. He only earned a nod from the girl. It was obvious she was exhausted and needed rest. “Innkeeper, do you have an empty room?” the man asked, looking over his shoulder to the person behind the wooden bar.

“Yes, but I can’t afford to give it out to people stumbling in. Even if they are young and weak,” he spat, continuing his duties behind the counter.

“I will pay, but please lead us there so she can rest,” the man responded, looking back down at Katy who was leaning against the post that was next to her. “Miss? Can you stand?”

Katy nodded, “Yes sir, I can. I thank you for your kindness.”

She used the post to help her stand, holding onto anything she could to keep her up as she walked to the room. When Katy reached the bed, she collapsed again, falling right to sleep as she laid down.

“Why did you help her?” The innkeeper asked as the kind man sat at the bar, order getting another drink.

“Why would I not?” he responded, a bit confused by the question. “She is just a girl who spent the day traveling on foot here. She had to cross the Nile to get here, which is no easy task.”

It had been almost two days since Katy had fallen asleep. Once she awoke and walked out of the room, the kind man was still there, now sitting at one of the dining tables.

“Sir? You were the one to help me, yes?” she asked, walking over to him.

When he saw her, he gave a gentle smile. “Yes, that was me. You are looking much better, miss,” he commented, gesturing for her to sit across from him. “Sit and eat. You must be very hungry.”

She blushed awkwardly then took a seat. When she was seated, she didn’t skip a beat before eating. “Thank you, kind sir. I appreciate the gesture very much,” She thanked him, food still in her mouth as she spoke.

He chuckled softly, moving a drink to her. “You are very welcome. May I ask where you are headed?” He leaned on the table. For the next few minutes, the two talked and came to an agreement.

He would take Katy to Jerusalem, then give her some money and she would continue her journey, the next large city she would stop at would be Istanbul, then probably Athens. They left the inn, got camels, and all the food and water they needed for a journey; which would last more than a week. Hot day after hot day, they traveled. Katy learned much about the man during their travels. He was a merchant, and he also liked to call himself an adventurer. When they met in Helwan, the town she found him in, he had been on his way back to Jerusalem from Alexandria. Surprisingly, they were good traveling partners.

By the time they reached Jerusalem, the pair were ready for a break. He offered for Katy to stay with him and his wife for the night before she would continue the trek. Of course, she took the offer without second thoughts, enjoying the comfortable sleeping space for the night.

The next day, she departed, saying her goodbyes to the kind people that had helped her. For around another thirty days, she traveled, rested, hunted when she was out of food, searched for water, and got caught in a couple sand storms with no where for her to hide for cover. After fifteen days, she had reached Istanbul and in around another fifteen days, she reached Athens, Greece.

She stopped just outside the city, getting off her camel and letting loose after she took the rest of the food and water that she had left. After getting into the city, she went in search for an inn. During her search, she bumped into some guards, quickly apologizing to the men.

“Wait! Are you not one of the servants?” a guard questioned, blocking her from leaving and crossing his arms. “How did you get out of the palace?” he asked, anger now in his tone.

Katy was dumbfounded by his question. Was he really asking if someone dressed in clothing like hers was a servant? She then quickly realized that she had been traveling for so long, that her dress is now torn in many different places and the colors were fading.

“I apologize but no, I am not a servant, you have the wrong woman,” she explained, chuckling slightly and trying to get past, but they didn’t let her.

“You think I would believe a lie like that? You are mistaken!” he told her, grabbing her shoulders tightly. “I’m taking you back and you will be punished accordingly.” He began dragging her up to the palace. The second guard in tow.

“Wait! Please! I am not a servant! I promise!” Katy exclaimed, trying desperately to escape from his grip. Somehow, she ended up breaking free and running as fast as her legs could take her.

“Catch that woman!” the guard yelled, both of them chasing after her, pushing everyone out of the way to get go after her.

She refused to look back and see how close they were, so she just continued to run. Almost every turn she went down, there was another guard, the group now chasing her had ten guards. As she rounded another corner, someone put their hand around her mouth, muffling her scream as the person pulled her into the small hiding spot

“Hush! I am assisting!” the person whispered to her, keeping her against the wall and out of sight.

Since she had no other choice, Katy stayed quiet, hearing the guards pass right by them. After the guards were gone, the person, that she could now see was a man, removed his hand.

“I apologize for handling you like that, but it was the only way I could think to help without getting caught,” the man explained, looking out of the hiding spot again to make sure none of the guards were close. “What is your name?” He crossed his arms as he waited for an answer.

“Is it wrong of me to ask the same?” she retorted, a small smirk appearing on her face.

The man chuckled. “Yes, my apologies. My name is Callisto, a pleasure to meet you.” He bowed slightly in greeting.

Now that she got a good look at him, he was actually more attractive than she had originally thought. His hair was a bronze brown, along with his litten facial hair, and his eyes were a baby blue. She blushed brightly from her distracting thoughts

“M-My apologize. My name is... uh… Althea.” She chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Callisto,” she continued in a kind tone, smiling at him.

He furrowed his brow momentarily. “I apologize, but it does not seem you are sure of your own name.” Callisto smiled softly as he looked at the young woman.

Katy huffed, “Of course I am sure of my name. It is the one I was given at birth, is it not?” A small smirk appeared on her lips. “I do apologize for changing the conversation, but should we not be running?” She had begun to worry that the guards would find them.

His eyes widened slightly as he quickly checked for the guards again. “You are definitely correct. Come with me. I have somewhere we will not be found.” Quickly he took her hand and led her out of the hiding spot. After some time running and ducking in corners, they finally came to what looked to be like an abandoned home. “The lady first,” he grinned, gesturing for her walk inside first.

She gave him a strange look, then walked inside. On the inside, it was kept clean and looked quite nice compared to the outside. There were bedrolls on the floor, almost twenty, candle lights on the walls, what seemed to be a bath in one corner and another corner seemed to be a kitchen of sorts.

“What is this place?” she asked in a curious tone.

“This place is a home for the people on the run from the guards. We are a group of people who have done nothing wrong, but are wanted,” he explained, but did a horrible job, earning a slight chuckle from the girl.

She nodded in understanding. “So that is why you helped me. It is because I have run into the same problems as you?”

“Yes, you are correct. So please, stay as long as you need. You will need to blend, however,” he commented, walking to stack of clothing and finding a dress. “Here, Miss. Bathe and dress. I will be waiting outside.” Callisto handed her the dress with the smile.

She blushed slightly at the gesture, gently taking the dress from his hands. “Thank you, Callisto.” She smiled back to him. He nodded in return, stepping outside to guard the doors from his usual hiding spot as the girl went to bathe.

* * *

Two years had passed since then and a small romance had blossomed between Katy and Callisto. The small group that Katy had joined ended up being a group that had now become assassins and thieves to survive. Over those two years, Katy had spent a lot of time training, learning everything Callisto knew. They spent so much time together, that they could now practically read each other's thoughts. They had memorized each other’s movements which made it easier on “missions”. Today was not like the others. One that would change both Katy and Callisto forever.

The day started the same as any other. They woke up, ate, and started their self given missions for the day. Katy didn’t go on missions on her own very often, but today was one of the days she did. All seemed well as she stole the jewel she had planned for weeks to steal. The heist was a success, but as she rounded the corner with the jewel, a group of guards saw her stuffing it in her napsack.

“Hey, you! What do you think you’re doing with that jewel?” one of the guards questioned.

All of them had the usual sandals, leather skirt, and chest plate on. Some had their helmets, some didn’t. It was just her luck that all of them had their swords.

“Shit,” Katy cursed.

She wasted no time to hesitate or chat with the guards, but instead took off running in the other direction with the guards chasing after her. Callisto was in another part of the town, but not far from Katy. He heard the commotion of civilians shouting from guards running past them and pushing them out of the way as they yelled, trying to catch Katy. He quickly rushed off to rescue her, scaling the sides of buildings and jumping from roof to roof to get to her as soon as possible.

Katy ran as fast as her legs could move. She pushed crates from stacks behind her hoping to slow down the guards. Luckily a few were knocked off their feet, but the others were better than she had thought. Katy saw an opening to turn into and took it, hoping it was another path in the labyrinth of buildings in the city. As she took the turn, she almost slid to a stop, cursing under her breath. She was stuck in a dead end.

“There you are!” Callisto exclaimed, relieved to see her unharmed as he jumped down from the rooftop, landing next to her. “What the hell were you thinking, Althea? You’ve never been this reckless!” the tall man scolded her, hoping to see some form of fear or guilt in her eyes. But her blue eyes only told determination and anger, a look he had never seen from this kind hearted girl before. It almost made him take a step back.

“I’m sorry, okay? You can yell at me later, but right now we need to get out of here,” Katy responded, pushing him towards the wall as she heard the voices of the guards getting closer.

Callisto groaned in frustration, nodding to the girl. “Alright, hop up,” he told her, kneeling down and offering a boost for her. Katy quickly took the offer, placing her foot between his clasped hands and pulling herself up on the roof.

“Get out of here!” he demanded, turning his back towards her and rushing off to the guards before they spotted her. “Hey! I have the jewel!” he shouted, gaining their attention.

Katy’s eyes widened, watching this man sacrifice himself just for her to get away. Tears came to her eyes as she clenched her fists, forcing herself to retreat, going back to the hideout. Callisto was given the death sentence for the theft of the jewel, hiding the damned thing, and not giving the name of the woman that did the actual stealing. His execution was going to be at one of Poseidon's temples, just south of Athens. But Katy had other plans.

“Silas! Silas in the name of Zeus, Where the hell are you?” Katy yelled, bursting through the curtain door. Silas, another assassin and thief, was one of the members of the small group. He was actually the first, Callisto being the second.

“My gods, Althea! What is it?” The man asked, gripping one of his throwing knives, prepared to attack whoever it was that came through the “door” so quickly.

“It's Callisto. He was captured on my latest mission,” she explained.

There was a terrifying look in her eyes, different from the one Callisto had seen just before. Silas had seen worse from himself sometimes, so this was nothing. Although, seeing the look on Althea was strange, almost out of place.

His gaze out matched hers as he stood quickly, eyes locked on hers. With each stride closer to the woman, he could see the anger fading as fear took over. She was almost paralyzed with fear, unable to move quick enough. He wasted no time, tightly squeezing his hand around her neck and practically throwing her against the wall, pinning her there. Katy gasped for air as she squeezed his hand, hoping he’d let go.

“What did you do, and where is he?” he growled, loosening his grip slightly so she could breathe and speak.

“Rescued me. Execution,” she managed to tell him, still struggling to breathe.

He growled again, tossing her on the ground, away from the door. She coughed, keeping her upper body off the ground as she caught her breath. As he crouched down next to her, he gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“You’re going to fix this mess and save Callisto. If you don’t, you won’t like the consequences,” he whispered, anger laced his voice. Then he stood and walked off to take care of some task.

The second he was gone Katy sighed, clenching her fists and her eyes now had a hint of green in them. “Screw him. He won't help me. I’ll take care of this myself,” she mumbled, finally bringing herself to her feet. It was now time for her rescue mission. She had no plan, nothing but a good sense of direction and good-ish luck. She'd handle it, maybe.

During the small cat fight between the two, Callisto was being taken to the pillars at Poseidon’s Temple. His sentence was almost the same that pirates would use, but without a plank. He was to be forced off the edge of the cliff, falling down to the spiked stones at the bottom. Instant death, if not then a slow, agonizing one.

Katy had stolen a horse and wasn’t far behind the troops. She pushed the poor animal, not letting it rest until she was at her destination. There was a small twinge of guilt for doing it to the animal, but it had to be done. Arriving at the temple, she grabbed a rope and a hook that were conveniently placed in the saddlebags on the horse. She was determined to have a successful rescue mission, even if it killed her.

Luckily her brother back home, in the real world, was a boy scout. She had learned a few knots that could help in this situation. The hook was tied to the rope and had been secured around a rock, with the other end tied similarly to a harness that she kept on her arm for the time being. Then she waited for the right moment to rush in. This wasn’t the best plan, but at least it was something.

“Any last words, thief?” a guard spit towards Callisto’s feet, who groaned in disgust.

“No,” Callisto stated, not glancing toward the man. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell them to a dog like you,” he threw back, earning a glare from the guard.

Then the time came for the execution to take place. The two guards were standing a couple feet back from the edge, letting Callisto walk himself off the cliff, unless he needed a push.

As Katy looked around, she could see the waters below. They were a beautiful blue, almost blending in with the noon sky in the distance. The guards and Callisto weren't far away, but they all stood at the edge of the land. There were pillars of rock and fallen debris from what could have possibly belonged to an actual shrine. But over time it had decayed, leaving only the pillars, fallen rocks, and a view of the ocean. One could see why it was called Poseidon’s Temple.

Things seemed to go by in slow motion for Katy as she ran closer to the guards and Callisto, watching him walk to his death. The second she was within range, Katy pulled out her dagger and pounced on the first guard, stabbing his head with the blade and then quickly pulling it out. The second guard turned in surprise and threw a few punches, which she dodged. The first two at least. The last hit she took, finding it to be her only chance to pierce him. Once she did, she left the blade in his body, earning a groan from him as he fell to the ground.

“Callisto!” Katy screamed, tears in her eyes as she realized she was too late to stop him from falling off the edge. She quickly followed suit, jumping after him, the fall happening in slow motion as well. Katy reached Callisto in the nick of time, throwing the rope around him, stopping him from falling to the bottom.

“Althea, no!” the man yelled, tears in his eyes as he realized what was happening.

Katy reached up, fear of death in her eyes as she desperately tried to grab his hand, but she was already too far down. Their fingers missed one another by only a hair's breadth. She screamed, her arms reaching out toward her last hope toward life that had failed her. Then she looked at his face for the last time, things weren’t in slow motion anymore as she slammed against the stones, her body falling into the waters below as blood coated the rock she had hit, and as turned the blue waters a crimson red.

That moment was the end of Kema of Egypt, and the end of Althea of Greece.


	2. Because This Is Totally How Normal Relationships Work

Katy’s screams echoed in her room as she woke up and fell out of the bed. She was in shock from the events that she just went through, so lost in thought that she didn’t feel herself hit the ground and didn’t hear her own cries of fear and pain that she had suffered just moments before. Her heart pounded and she couldn't hear over the blood rushing through her ears.

Stumbling to her feet, Katy rushed out of her room, slamming the door behind her as she went to the bathroom. After locking the door, she quickly took her shirt off, examining her wounds in the mirror. Although, when she looked, there wasn’t a scratch on her. No scars on her arms and torso from getting cut with blades on missions. Her skin was fair again, not sunkissed anymore. The callouses on her hands weren’t there anymore either. It was only then that she began to breathe normally again.

“Thank god I’m home alone…” she mumbled to herself, legs shaking as she stood in front of the mirror.

Her thoughts were all over the place and her breathing started to become shallow and quick. Everything from that dream was too vivid to be just that. The pain from every wound, the feelings of love, fear, and anger. The hot sun on her skin every day. The sand down her dress in all the wrong places, how exhausted she felt after swimming across the Nile. Everything just seemed too real.

She couldn’t stop her body shaking and the tears running down her face. She fell to the ground, pulling herself up against the wall with her knees to her chest and her face hidden in them as she screamed. All emotions came pouring out in her screams and tears. Hate for having died after saving Callisto, guilt for putting him through the ordeal in the first place. Anger at the guards and herself.

But then again, it was just a dream, wasn't it? Katy couldn't understand why she would cry and feel over such a dream. Yet how realistic it felt… it couldn't have been a dream. Katy sniffled and her tears dried up. Her heart still pounded but not as loud and hard as before.

Once she had calmed down a little more, she went back to her room to get dressed for the day. When she entered the room, she felt like she was in a foreign place. Unsure of where the exact placement of all of her items were. Hesitantly and slowly, Katy reminded herself how to work the drawers of her wardrobe and the sliding doors of her closet. She finally felt that she was getting her head out of the dream, until her phone rang.

Practically jumping out of her skin, she instantly took on a defensive position and reaching for the non-existent blade on her hip. The phone continued to ring, the girl staring at it for a moment before something finally clicked in her brain that she should answer it. Quickly picking it up from her nightstand, she looked at the name and it took a moment for her to realize it was her own mother.

“Hello?” she answered, hesitation in her voice.

“Hi, honey! I only have a moment but I just wanted to make sure you were awake,” her mother began, hurrying back inside the business from her lunch break. “Don’t forget to feed the animals this morning. Your brother will be back at about three from work, so he can feed them tonight. See you tonight hun!” Finally, she had finished speaking. It seemed like she didn’t even take a breath, she spoke so quickly.

Before Katy could respond, the call had ended from her mom's end of the phone. All the tasks that Katy was asked to do, and she could barely even get herself dressed. Today was definitely going to be long, and interesting.

Most of the poor girl’s morning was spent trying to keep herself from screaming or jumping every five minutes. Luckily, she succeeded at everything except for the toaster. Although, in her defense, she was lost in thought at the time. The adjustment period ended up being shorter than she expected, which she was grateful for. Since her long night with the most vivid dream of her life, she felt different. She was more aware of her surroundings, she felt a little stronger when she had carried a bag of horse feed to the shed, and her reflexes were quicker.

After all of her chores were done and she was walking back towards the house from the horse pen, she felt a strange need to look up from her phone that was in her hands. When she did, she gasped at the sight that she saw in her driveway. Tears instantly came to her eyes as she saw Callisto chained to a post with his arms above his head. There was wood at the bottom of his feet, leaning up against the post. As he looked at her, a fire had started below his feet.

“Callisto!” she shouted, running towards him.

All that was on her mind was saving the person who she thought was about to be burned alive in front of her, she was so lost in the moment that she didn’t see the rock she was about to trip over. When she did, she groaned in pain, slowly lifting herself up to where she could see what was in front of her again. When she looked, Callisto and the flames were gone, but she was still crying.

“Althea,” She heard a voice whisper in her ear.

Katy quickly flipped herself, looking in the direction that was behind her. She was frozen, staring at his face with wide eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to speak to the man that was standing in front of her.

“You died saving me, Althea. Although I died because of you not long after…” he stated, leaning close to her face with a creepy smirk on his own face. His eyes and his whole face started to melt as he looked to her. “Be happy you died the way you did!” he shouted at her.

Just after he did, he screeched in her face. The tune so loud and high pitched, it made Katy snap out of her frozen fear, the woman screaming as she closed her eyes and moved away quickly from what she saw in front of her.

“Katy! Are you alright? What Happened?” a voice of a girl called to her, hopping over the fence and rushing over to her. The girls long legs carried her across the yard quickly, her brown curly hair bouncing with each step. When she reached her, she kneeled down next to Katy, pulling her hair over so it laid on her shoulder and out of the way.

Katy sighed, chuckling slightly as she gave her friend a small smile. “Hey Anni,” she started, rubbing the back of her neck as she continued “I tripped… Sorry to worry you.” The two stood up and Katy dusted herself off as her friend crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. Katy chuckled again, finding it hard to look her in the eyes. “What?” she asked.

“You’re lying, I see it in your eyes,” Anni stated. That was a lie in itself, Katy wasn't even close to making eye contact. “Seriously, what happened? No one screams like that when they trip.”

“You’ll say I’m crazy,” Katy sighed, looking away. Then she started making her way back to the house, Anni right behind her.

Her friend chuckled as she followed her inside the house. “Katy, I already know you’re crazy. I mean, whenever you’re over, we normally spend our time LARPing Supernatural or something,” she said, sitting down on the couch.

Katy couldn’t help but smirk at her friend's comment, sitting down next to her. “Okay fine,” she looked down at her hands resting in her lap. Then clenched them tightly to try and stop them from shaking. “So, I had this dream last night that seemed really… real. A little too real, actually.”

“And? What happened in it?” Anni asked.

“It’s going to be a long story. You sure you wanna hear it?” Katy grinned at her friend, receiving a nod in response.

The next two hours were spent with the two of them talking about her dream. Anni was taking the conversation surprisingly well, although that was what Katy needed right now. She needed the support.

“This has really been upsetting you today, hasn’t it?”

“You have no idea!” Katy exclaimed, groaning as she sunk in her seat. “Am I crazy?” she asked, giving her friend the elusive puppy dog eyes.

Anni shrugged, a small smile on her face before she spoke. “Yeah, you’re definitely crazy. Do I need to take you to the crazy house? I hear the fridges are full of soda,” she teased, trying to perk her friend up.

Katy chuckled, hitting her friend's arm half-heartedly. “Oh, shut up! So, what now? Do I just forget about the past few years of my dream life?” She asked, a hint of sadness in her voice from her own suggestion.

“I guess? Or just don’t put as much thought into it. In fact, you should probably just forget about it. It was just a dream.” Anni shrugged and left the room to the kitchen, leaving Katy by herself.

Katy didn't find it funny that Anni would shrug this off so easily, but then again, she hadn't lived through it. And if it really was a dream, neither had she. So why did it bother her so much?

After that, the dream was in fact slowly stored in the back of her mind. Over the next two years, Katy visited a couple more places; not as herself, but in someone else’s body. During her visits, she learned to control the universe she went to, except for the one she wanted to go to the most: the Supernatural universe.

* * *

**June 2, 1997**

To the west of the Americas, and to the East of Australia in the Pacific Ocean lies an island. The country on this island isn’t a big one, and it's barely known to the world around it. The country on this island is Othos. Even though the island isn’t very big, it has a pretty decent sized population. On the outskirts of the island is, of course, the coast. A relaxing tropical area, packed with trees and beautiful flowers. On one end of the island are mountains. The beaches and coastal towns offer a great view, and they are beautiful, but you have to be an expert to climb them.

What people don’t know, is that hidden in the mountains is the country’s largest and most advanced city. Compared to Wakanda, this city’s technology comes in second. The city is home to a good portion of the population, along with the military base at the top of one of the shorter mountains, and the royal family’s castle (or mansion) at the top of one of the other short mountains.

Towards the center of the island and heading away from the mountains, there are smaller cities and towns. The island also has beautiful meadows and forests that are creepy on some nights.

Since it’s so small and pretty unknown, the country has very few enemies. On this warm summer night in 1997, at around midnight, the castle was ambushed by its biggest rival.

“Lisa!” Aurora, the queen of Othos called for one of her guards who came rushing to her side, ready to assist in any way possible.

“Yes, your highness?” the woman asked. She was currently in a full black pants-suit with her hair in a high ponytail, two guns resting on her hips.

“I need you to get Kate and Layla from their room, pack their things and take them to the States. And don’t return until you hear word from me, do you understand?” the queen asked. She was determined to save her daughter and her friend, hoping that one day she would be able to return and take back the throne.

Aurora was wearing armor. She had always been a fan of medieval things, so she had decided to use their technology to create very strong armor, and weapons, like her sword, that had some pretty cool abilities. If she did say so herself.

“But my Lady-” Lisa tried to protest.

“Do not argue!” Aurora barked, her eyes changing to green instead of the natural sky blue. “Take Daryl as well, pose as Kate’s parents for as long as you have to. And make sure Layla gets back to Transylvania.” Aurora left before Lisa could respond, heading towards the fighting to cause a distraction.

Explosions could be heard outside, causing the building to shake depending on how big the explosion was. Lisa hurried up the stairs to the young girl's bedroom. When she rushed in, both girls were huddled in the corner, Kate’s hands wrapped around her dagger.

“Lisa! What’s happening? Where’s my mother?” Kate asked, rushing towards her guard with Layla close behind her. The sounds of people screaming and bombs going off had woken them up, but Kate figured they would be safer if they stayed in the room until help had arrived.

“Don’t worry about her right now, honey. Pack everything important to you. We need to leave.”

The girls nodded, most of the fear leaving their eyes as the scrambled to pack. It took them only minutes, and once they were ready, Lisa rushed out of the room with them, taking them to one of the secret exits the castle has had for years. Daryl was already outside with the car to go to the plane.

Once they were outside, Daryl quickly opened the back door, standing guard with a pistol in hand. “Get in, quickly.”

The girls did just as they were told, practically jumping into the back seat. Lisa got into the passenger seat, and Daryl in the drivers, taking off without hesitation.

“Daryl, stop! My mom is still inside! Why are we leaving without her?”

“She told us to get you and leave,” Lisa looked back at the girls, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry, she’s a strong warrior, she can handle herself.” With that comment, Lisa turned her head back around to face the road, keeping an eye out for anyone.

After hours of travel, by both car and plane, they had finally gotten to the hideout home in the States. Not long after their arrival, Layla’s older sister had come to pick her up, leaving Kate feeling alone in the apartment, even if she did have her new “parents”.

It took a couple of months for the young teen to start to feel at home. When she did, she would leave to spend most of her time in the library not far from the apartment. Lisa would also send her to run errands, and like any other teen, she hated it. But still did as she was asked.

Today was Saturday, and since Kate got to spend the whole day however she pleased, she was at the library. Although today was different. There was a family, a father and two sons, passing through town on a road trip.

“Okay, Dad,” a boy’s voice whispered from the other side of the shelf. “Yes, Dad. I’m looking through the books now. Yes, I know how to spell Wendigo.” The boy continued talking over the phone with his father, although Kate was no longer listening.

Kate had heard of something by that name before, back in Othos. Her mom had gone to the states to find one of her guards a couple years ago. When she came back, she and Lisa were discussing something about a Wendigo. Kate, being the curious child she was, decided to look up the word, but the pictures ended up giving her nightmares.

Kate found an important book about them, and decided to investigate the boy. As she walked around the corner, she dropped the book on the table and crossed her arms. “What the hell do you want with a Wendigo?” she asked, her tone and glare firm.

The boy jumped, quickly hanging up the phone and turning around the face her, trying to block all the books he had. He stared at her with wide eyes for a moment, having a crush on her right away. He blushed and cleared his throat, smiling softly at her as he held his hand out to shake hers.

“Hello. My name is Sam, what’s yours?”

She hesitated, looking him up and down before gripping his hand. “Kate. Nice to meet you,” she told him, pulling some hair behind her ear after she let go of his hand. “You never answered my question.”

“Oh, about the Wendigo?” he asked, Kate nodding in response. “It’s just for a school project!” He told her, a bright smile on his face, hoping she bought the lie.

“Sure it is,” she chuckled, sitting down at the table. “So, Sam, tell me about yourself.” She smiled up at him, a kind smile on her face as she rested her elbows on the table.

Sam blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down. For about an hour, the two talked about books almost the whole time. The pair so caught up in the conversation that sam completely missed his phone ringing every twenty minutes until his brother busted through the doors of the library.

“Sammy! What the hell, man! We’ve been calling you for an hour!” Dean exclaimed, pulling Sam from the seat and gripping his arms tightly, making him groan slightly.

Kate didn’t hesitate to step in between, even if it was with a family she had just met. She pushed her chair back, making it hit the railing behind her as she rushed over. Kate’s actions were almost second nature to her now as she gripped Dean’s arm, twisted it behind his back and shoved him onto the table.

“Don’t manhandle your little brother, jackass,” she whispered, not letting go of him yet.

Sam stood in awe, watching this girl that was the same age as him and only a little taller, take down his older brother. As he watched, he noticed that her eyes had changed to green instead of their vibrant blue, which he found interesting.

Dean chuckled, not even trying to fight back. He smirked a little as he looked back at her. “Listen little lady, I’m just making sure my brother was safe, that’s all. Now, would you mind letting me go?”

She scoffed, shaking her head a little at his comment before letting him go. When he turned around to face her, she quickly gripped his jacket, pulling him close to her. “If I see you hurt him again, I will beat your ass. Do you understand?” she asked, trying to be intimidating even though she was smaller than him.

Dean nodded, a small smile on his face as he held his hands up in defense, looking down at her. Even though she was the same age as his brother, he found her attractive. Especially after she just did her little trick.

“Trust me, I’m only wanting to keep my brother safe.”

She nodded, letting go of his jacket. As she turned around, Sam was still standing and watching. “Nice to meet you, Sam,” she told him, quickly pecking his cheek before running out of the library and back to the house.

Dean chuckled, draping his arm around his brother’s shoulders and ruffling his hair. “Does little Sammy have a new, badass girlfriend?” he asked, chuckling as his brother tried to escape his grip.

“What? No! It wasn’t like that, Dean!” he exclaimed, his cheeks rosy as he spoke. Dean didn’t buy it, but just grinned as a response. Sam rolled his eyes, walking to the table. “Come on, before I piss dad off even more,” he grumbled as he picked up the books and walked towards the front desk to check out the books.

* * *

Years passed, and Kate, Sam, Dean, and Layla were now adults. Layla and Kate were now living together in the apartment that Kate grew up in, and Lisa and Daryl had died in a car accident that Kate believes wasn’t entirely an accident.

It had been a long day at work for Kate with her boss making her stay a couple extra hours. She was supposed to leave at 5, but it was now 8 as she began to walk back to the apartment. She worked close enough that she didn’t need to use her car, which was a plus for her.

Ten minutes into her walk, Kate realized she was being followed. Careful not to draw attention, Kate grabbed the knife from her purse then put her hands in her pockets as she turned into the park. The park itself was pretty during the day, but super creepy at night with the poorly lit sidewalks.

Before Kate could attack, the man was a step ahead, gripping her arms tightly as she went to stab him.

“Good to see you, princess,” the man smirked, squeezing her wrists until she shouted from the pain and dropped her knife. “You’re a hard woman to find, you know that?” The man told her, gripping her shoulders and tossing her into the grass.

She groaned from the impact, pulling herself back to her feet pretty quickly and lunged forward, throwing a punch to the man’s face which he blocked with ease. Grabbing her wrist he pushing her to the ground. “Enough! We’re taking you back to Othos for your execution. So be a good girl and sit still, understand?” he growled, straddling her lap as he started choking her, trying to make her black out.

Kate flailed, trying her best to jab his eyes in. She came pretty close, but began feeling weak as her sight started turning white. All of a sudden, the man was tackled to the ground by someone else around his size. Kate gasped and coughed, struggling to get the air back into her lungs. As she looked to her right, she saw this new person throw a couple punches, easily knocking out her attacker.

Sam sighed, standing to his feet and brushing himself off before walking over to Kate, offering his hand. “Are you okay, Miss?” he asked in a kind tone, his long hair falling into his face.

Kate nodded, taking his hand and letting him pull her up. Once the poor lighting shined on his face, Kate knew exactly who this tall man was. Chuckling, she smiled up at her rescuer. “So, seems like someone learned something from brawls with his older brother, huh?”

She crossed her arms, a small blush creeping onto her face as she looked up at him. Sam looked at her with a confused look on his face for a couple minutes. Before too long, Kate could practically see the light bulb above his head as his eyes brightened with excitement to see her again.

“Oh my god! Kate? It’s been so long!” he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug, which she gladly returned. “We should get you back to your house before he wakes up. Mind if I walk you?”

Kate smiled, pulling some hair behind her ear as she nodded. “Yeah, that would be great,” she told him, picking up her bag and knife. “Um… would you mind waiting around the corner? I’ll be right there, I just need to find a couple things that fell out of my bag,” she told him, an innocent grin on her face.

Sam hesitated, glancing to the man on the ground before nodding to her. “Yeah, sure. Just shout if you need me,” he told her, grinning a little before walking around the corner and waiting.

As soon as Sam was out of sight, Kate’s eyes darkened as she spun her knife between her fingers, walking over to her attacker. As she walked over, the man started to groan as he began to regain consciousness.

“Hey, jackass,” she smirked, straddling his lap, “this is for my family,” she growled in a whisper, covering his mouth with one hand, and stabbing the blade into his chest.

A couple of moments passed before he stopped moving. Once he did, she pulled the blade from his chest, and cut the letter M into his wrist before leaving to catch up with Sam, wiping the blood off of her knife and putting it in her purse again.

“Find everything?”

Kate smiled, nodding to him as she put her purse on her shoulder, her eyes bright again. “Yup! Come on, I live this way,” she told him, taking his arm as they walked. Another ten minutes passed before they reached Kate’s apartment. “Well, this is me. Thank you for your help tonight, Sam. I really appreciate it.”

Sam nodded, unable to take his eyes off of her. “You’re welcome. I’ll be in town for a couple nights... If you’d like to meet at some point?” he suggested, a slight hesitation in his voice. The fear of rejection in the back of his mind instantly went away when Kate agreed.

They exchanged numbers then Kate went inside and up to her floor while Sam waited out front for his brother to pick him up. Kate sighed as she walked inside her apartment, setting her house keys down on the kitchen counter. When she opened the fridge, she started to smell something that seemed like gas. Quickly looking over to the stove, she cursed under her breath, knowing she wouldn’t have enough time to leave through the front door.

Just as Sam’s brother, Dean, pulled up in the Impala, there was an explosion on the second floor, making Sam jump and turn around just in time to see Kate hit the ground, broken glass all around her as she shouted in pain, her arm breaking from the impact.

“Kate!” he shouted, rushing over to her. “Dean! Get the back door!” he told his brother, examining Kate right after. “Kate, what the hell just happened? Did you seriously just jump out of a damn window?” he asked, worry and slight panic laced in his voice.

Kate groaned, holding onto her arm as she gritted her teeth. “Y-yeah. It was the only way I’d make it out in time,” she explained, trying to sit up. Sam didn’t hesitate to stop her, carefully picking her up instead and setting her in the back seat of the Impala. “Would you do me a favor... Please?” she asked. Sam nodded, still checking her to make sure she wasn’t hurt anymore. “I need you to take my phone, and call Layla. Tell her to come get my car and meet us at the hospital.”

“Yeah, of course,” he responded, doing as she asked before the two brothers took her to the hospital. Layla was strangely close behind them, walking through the doors of the hospital just after Kate was taken to the back.

“Where is she!” she yelled as she busted through the doors. She wore scrubs and had a name tag on her with the hospital's name on it, making the boys realize she was an employee here too. “Where is Kate? I need to see her,” she told the nurse who just rushed to find the room number. Once she knew the number, she headed straight to the back, the brothers not far behind.

“Excuse me! Layla?” Sam called, holding his breath as the woman lunged towards him, holding a knife to his throat. His hands went up to show his surrender, giving her a weak smile. “I’m Sam, Kate’s friend. This is my brother Dean, we’re the ones who brought her here,” he explained, hoping to calm down Layla.

She narrowed her eyes, looking between the brothers for a moment before moving her knife away. “Follow me. I’m sure the weirdo would like to see you,” she groaned in frustration, continuing to walk towards the room.

The brothers looked between each other, Dean whispering about her fast movements. The duo monster hunters knew she was something, but they couldn’t tell what, just yet. As they walked into the room, Kate smiled softly to the three, greeting them before being cut off by a slap to the face from Layla, the brothers staring wide-eyed at the situation.

“What the hell, Kate?” Layla shouted before continuing her rant. “You think jumping out of a fucking window is a bright idea? What the hell were you thinking, dammit! You could have gotten yourself killed!”

Sam’s eyes switched between the two women, Kate’s eyes darkening as she looked up at her friend. A firm look was on her face, unfazed by her friend’s lecture.

“Sam, Dean, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?”

“Gladly! Come on, Sammy,” Dean responded, gripping his brother’s arm and pulling him out of the room. “This is who you had a crush on for years?” he asked his brother, motioning to the room they just left.

Sam rolled his eyes, a small blush on his cheeks as he crossed his arms. “Whoever said I got over her, Dean?”

“That’s not my point! Those two are crazy, Sam! And it seems like she’s being hunted. Probably from another hunter because they aren’t human!”

“I don’t disagree that someone just tried to kill her twice tonight, but I’m not agreeing that she isn’t human. Not everyone who gets attacked is a monster, Dean.”

“I think we should leave. Now.”

“Not happening!”

“What the hell do you have in mind, Sammy? Take them with us?”

“Yes! We could keep them safe just until they get back on their feet.”

Dean groaned in frustration, making hand motions of strangling Sam who stood with his arms crossed, waiting for Dean’s answer. “Fine. Just until they find a place of their own. We’re not getting a second room, though.”

The brothers ended their argument with an agreement, the girls would come with them. Now all that was left was to talk to them about it, which would be a while since they were still having a screaming match. Although once they were finished, they spoke and all agreed to leave in the morning. This would be the start of their adventure, and the start of Kate’s revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow-we!! What a turn of events! Note: Kate is not Katy in case some of you were confused (like my beta reader). She's another one of my OC's that I just wanted to introduce. What do you think?


	3. Ironically Alive

It was a long night for all four people. Layla didn’t sleep. Instead, she went back to the apartment to see if she could salvage anything. Sam and Dean slept on the chairs in the bedroom, and Kate struggled to sleep at all, her thoughts overwhelming her. Sam was the first person awake, following Layla and Kate that is.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Kate smiled softly at him. Small bags drooped under her eyes, and her voice was soft so she didn’t wake up Dean.

Sam smiled, stretching a little in his seat. “Good morning. Did you sleep alright?”

Kate shook her head, shrugging as she did so. “Kinda hard to sleep when I was almost killed twice in one day.” She groaned a little as she slowly stood from her bed.

Sam rushed to her side, helping her up and careful not to hurt her more than she already was, or let her strain herself. “Careful. I’m sure you hurt yourself more than you think.”

She nodded, a signal that she was okay on her own. “Yeah, I know. Would you mind grabbing my clothes, please?” He didn’t respond with words and handed her the outfit that Layla had laid on the seat next to her bed. “I’ll be right back. You may want to wake your brother in the meantime,” she grinned, walking into the bathroom and locking the door behind her with a sigh. As she removed her shirt, a difficult task without Layla to help her, Kate noticed the large, dark bruises that covered her body, mostly on her back. “Damn…” she mumbled before changing her clothing, having a more difficult time since her left arm was broken. When she walked out, the boys were already outside while Layla checked Kate over.

“Hey, you ready?” she asked Kate, giving her a small smile as she walked up to her friend.

“Yup. I can’t wait to get out of this town. It gets tiring after living here for most of your life.” Kate chuckled to herself, earning an eye roll form Layla.

“You have no idea. You won’t live as long as I will,” Layla whispered, pulling on a light jacket, gloves, and baseball cap. “Let's get this show on the road!”

“Where to, Winchester?” Kate smirked, opening the passenger door of her Mustang and resting her arm on the top of the door.

Dean shrugged, smirking back, “You’ll see. Just get in and follow us, if you can keep up.” He gave a wink, earning a glare from his brother.

“Oh we can keep up, you don’t have to worry about that,” Layla responded before Kate could have the chance. The two girls gave each other a nod before quickly getting in the car and buckled, Layla quickly pulling out of the hospital parking lot, leaving Dean in the dust for just a few minutes. Something he wasn’t very happy about.

* * *

It was another regular day for Katy, nothing but homework and taking care of the animals most of the day. She had just finished feeding the horses for dinner when, just as she turned around and stepped out of the barn, she was in someone’s house. Katy stared wide-eyed at the man sitting at his desk, typing away at the next Supernatural book. The man acknowledged her presence by looking up. The two stared at each other for a couple of moments, Katy's mind still processing the last few moments. It wasn’t until Katy dropped her phone that there was a reaction; the young girl shrieked at Chuck.

“Why are you yelling?” Chuck asked, almost unfazed by the reaction.

“How the fuck did I get here! What did you do?” Katy shouted, backing up against the wall as her breathing quickened and the girl began to hyperventilate, rambling to herself. “I’m in Supernatural… Oh my god, I’m in Supernatural!” she shouted again, shaking her head.

Chuck sighed, rubbing his forehead as he stood up. “Katy, I wouldn’t have brought you here if I knew you were going to freak out this much. Wasn’t this what you wanted?” he asked, setting a hand on the girl’s shoulder, making her jump.

She stared at him for another moment, Chuck watching the wheels slowly turning in her head before she gasped. “Oh my god! I knew it! You’re God!” she exclaimed before becoming quiet, blush creeping onto her face as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I just cursed in front of God. I’m sorry about that...” She cowered, refusing to match his gaze.

Chuck grinned, squeezing her shoulder to make her look at him, which she hesitantly did. “Don’t worry about it, kid. May I explain why you’re here? Or at least how?” he asked, leading Katy to one of the chairs in his living room. “First, I’d like you to tell me where in the timeline you are. What’s happening currently that's important to you.” he asked, sitting on the coffee table and resting his elbows on his knees as he waited for Katy to respond.

She narrowed her eyes at him briefly before looking around the room, seeing the digital clock on the wall that had the date on her. She gasped, her eyes brightening and a smile appearing on her face.

“Kate and Layla just left with Sam and Dean!” she exclaimed happily “I’m going to finally meet them? Really?” she asked, having trouble staying in her seat from the excitement.

Chuck nodded, chuckling a little at how excited she was. “Exactly. You’ve gone through a lot in these past couple of years, especially in the worlds you would call ‘fictional’. So I figured I should give you the Supernatural universe to explore,” he explained, standing up and stretching a little. “And as a little bonus, you can travel to these worlds without sleeping now. Slowing down time in your world or completely pausing it while you’re somewhere else.”

“Wait, so just whenever I want to come to one of my little worlds, all I have to do is think about the one I want to come to?” she asked, a little confused with all of this. She then realized that she was herself now, not one of her OC’s like in the other worlds. “And… I’m myself now?” she asked, surprised but joyed about this fact.

Chuck nodded, beginning to get annoyed with all the explaining he’s having to do, but knew it was coming soon. “Yes, Katy. You have free range. And the powers you wanted, you have those too. Just please be careful with them,” he pleaded, groaning a little at the end, hoping she wouldn’t be a repeat of the last person. That last person screwed up an entire world and almost eradicated the entire human race had those people not figured out how to build barriers.

Katy took a deep breath, having a hard time absorbing all of the information. She then stood up, walking to the mirror in his hallway. When she did, she realized all of her scars were on her, which she found a little surprising. They had gone away after she'd come back the first time.

“Hey, Chuck? Why are my scars here?”

He shrugged, “It’s not your real world. Any world you're in, other than your own, you’ll have the scars.” He sat back down at his desk. “Oh! And don’t tell the Winchester’s about me when you see them. They’ve only just met Castiel a couple episodes ago.”

“Oh? breaking the fourth wall now, are we?”

“I’m God. Why the hell wouldn’t I?” he asked, chuckling a little as he typed away at the latest chapter.

Katy shook her head at his comment. She then closed her eyes for a moment, picturing what she wanted to look like. When she opened her eyes, she was a couple inches taller, her hair was to her waist, a lighter blonde than usual, and all of her scars were “gone”. Her eyes were now a Caribbean green, her favorite color, her skin was clear, and her teeth were now straight and whiter than usual. Her outfit was also different. To finish it off, her weight had now gone down to the size she wanted to be.

Once Katy was happy with how she looked, she sighed, nodding with her approval before walking into his office and holding her arms out, turning in a circle. “Do I look fine for my first appearance change?” A small grin was on her face, she was proud of her accomplishment.

Chuck looked up from his computer, hesitating to answer. He was slightly disappointed that she had changed her looks. Although he knew she wasn’t entirely happy with the way he had made her. He smiled, wanting to support his child. “Yes, good job kiddo,” he told her. “Say hello to Cas for me, okay?” Chuck winked at Katy.

“Of course,” she chuckled, cracking her knuckles after. “I’ll see you later?” she asked, curiousness in her voice.

Chuck nodded, his attention back on the chapter. “Yup, a few more episodes.” He responded in a mumble, almost ignoring her.

Katy shrugged it off before teleporting out of the house, which was probably a bad idea. It was a new thing to her, and she ended up falling out of the sky not long after, screaming as she descended quicker than Lucifer when he was cast out. Somewhere in the Cage Lucifer felt someone break his speed record.

* * *

“Dean! Give me back my damn milkshake, you asshole!” Kate exclaimed, trying her best to steal back her milkshake as the four were walking back out to the cars.

“Kate?” Layla called, trying to get her attention, but failing to break up the argument. She had heard screaming and wanted to see if Kate had heard it too.

“Ah-ha!” Kate cheered as she held her milkshake cup up in the air in accomplishment. As her arm flew to the air and she faced the direction of the diner, the scream got louder before someone fell straight through the roof of the little restaurant, a couple of the windows breaking and people shouting inside.

“What. The hell. Was that?” Dean asked, staring at the scene for just a moment before Sam took off running to see what had happened. “Sam! Be careful!” Dean called to his brother, running inside after him.

“Kate you -” Layla began but she was quickly cut off.

“I know to stay put, Layla. I’ll be in the car,” she told her friend, sighing a bit as she went to the car, locking the doors as she got inside. Layla rolled her eyes, not moving from her spot but standing guard in case anyone came towards the car.

Katy laid on the rubble, groaning for a moment before pulling herself up and dusting off. She heard voices of two men running inside and quickly looked up, eyes widening.

“Sam. Dean.” Katy stared at them for a moment. “Everyone is fine, don’t worry,” she reassured them, helping a couple people off the ground. When she did, they quickly pushed themselves away, everyone running out of the building.

“And who the hell are you. How do you know our names?” Dean asked, pointing his gun towards her as he waited for an answer.

“Dean! There are other people around,” Sam whispered, quickly pushing his brothers gun down before anyone noticed. “But still, answer the question,” Sam commanded, glaring at the girl.

Katy chuckled, walking up to them and crossing her arms. “One word, boys; God,” she whispered, walking past them through the door and towards the parking lot. When she spotted Layla, she gasped with excitement, teleporting over to her and gripping her tightly in a hug. “Layla! Oh my god, it’s so good to see you! Where’s Kate?” she asked, pulling away and looking for the other woman in the group.

“Layla, you know her?” Dean asked as the brothers walked out of the diner, rushing toward them. The two had figured out what she was, or so they thought, from her comment and teleportation. Dean secretly hoping that he had found the answer to what Layla was too.

Layla shrugged, extremely surprised by the greeting of this stranger. “Hey! Stay away from the princess!” she shouted, rushing after Katy as she ran to the car to greet Kate.

Kate had looked out the window, seeing the girl come towards the car. “What the hell?” she mumbled, quickly stepping out and shutting the door behind her. “I know you, don’t I?” Kate asked, looking Katy over.

“Um, we haven’t met in person before, if that’s what you’re asking.” Katy chuckled, smiling at the woman standing in front of her. She was still amazed by the fact that she was looking at her most important, and loved, OC. She was exactly how Katy had pictured her.

“You’re the one from my dreams, aren’t you?” Kate asked, confusion lacing her voice as she spoke. “How is this possible? You’re just someone in my dream! Right? And how do I know it’s you, anyway. You look… different.”

Katy was unfazed, only smiling at the woman. She wasn’t surprised that Kate was freaking out. Katy did too, back in Egypt and in the fandom universe she had traveled to after that. “I know it’s a little weird, but I am who you think I am. You just have to trust me on this.” Her tone calm, and her eyes shone with understanding.

Kate hesitated, looking between the others before back to Katy. When she did, she held her hand out, “Kate, nice to meet you,” she told her, a small smile on her face as Katy shook her hand, introducing herself.

“Um, sorry to break up the party, but did Layla just say that you were a damn princess?” Dean asked Kate, having a hard time believing the comment.

“Oh shit,” Layla mumbled, taking a couple steps backward.

Kate raised her eyebrows towards Dean, her eyes darkening to green. “She said what, now?” Kate asked, obviously angry as she slowly walked towards Layla.

“So it’s true?” Sam asked, a little hurt by the secret, but relieved to find out she was, in fact, human.

“Bad time Sam,” Katy whispered, sitting on the trunk of the Mustang with her arms and legs crossed, waiting for the small fight to be over with.

“Kate, listen…” Layla began, holding her hands up in surrender, an awkward smile on her face as she continued to walk backward and away from the scary princess.

Kate growled under her breath, clenching her fists to try and contain her anger. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, they were back to blue. “Wait in the car, Layla,” She commanded, earning a quiet “okay” from the girl as she walked to the car. “Sam, Dean, come sit down and I’ll explain everything, now that the cat’s out.” She huffed a laugh, walking towards one of the tables that wasn’t destroyed.

“Who are you, exactly?” Layla asked Katy, looking up at the girl sitting on the trunk who was also watching Kate and the boys talk.

Without even looking over to Layla, Katy simply responded with, “Someone shouldn’t be here, but I’ll end up being very important.” Katy looked down to Layla, with nothing but seriousness on her face. “An important ally, and a good friend.”

Layla furrowed her eyebrows, finding Katy’s words a little weird. “If you seem to know so much. What is Kate telling them right now?”

“Everything.” Katy hopped down from the trunk. “Get in and shut the door or Kate will be mad,” Katy smirked. She had found the moment a little comical, if she was being honest.

Layla groaned like a child before she actually did get in the car, buckling her seatbelt and waiting for Kate and the others. Once Layla was in the car, Katy heard a voice in her head, instantly knowing who it was. Now that she had partially figured out how to teleport/fly, she was able to leave without having to worry about falling again.

“It’s you,” a gravelly voice called as they stood in the old barn, stepping out from the shadows. “I’ve heard of you. From the other angels.”

Katy smirked, crossing her arms as she stood at the entryway. “Hi, Cas. It’s great to finally meet you,” Katy spoke as Cas walked closer to her.

“Tell me. Have you seen God? Where is he?” he asked, voice laced with worry as he gripped her shoulders, begging for an answer.

“He told me to tell you hi,” she whispered, smiling softly at him. “I’m going to be helping with the Winchesters too, alright? And we’ll find God. All in due time.” Katy winked, gently taking his hands off of her before leaving again, leaving Cas to himself.

By the time Katy had talked to Cas, and then disappeared, Kate had finished telling the story to the brothers, and had explained everything, including Layla.

“Hey! Where’d that woman go?” Kate asked, her tone still laced with a hint of anger.

“Not sure… Honestly I’m surprised she survived that fall,” Dean shrugged, peeved that the woman had disappeared before he could ask any questions.

“Wait, you’re saying _she_ was what fell through the roof?” Kate stared at the broken roof of the diner.

“Uh, yeah,” Sam said, frowning at the place. “Why did she fall, I wonder. We saw her teleport so what happened?”

Dean shrugged once more and rolled his eyes. It didn't matter, at the moment anyway, where she had gone. He was tired and needed sleep. So he herded everyone into the cars - car and Baby - and the four left for the hotel, ready for the long day to end.

When they got to the hotel, Dean went inside to get the room, coming back out with two sets of keys, tossing one to Sam. “Sam, you’ll share a bed with Kate. I guess I’ll share with Layla, then.” Dean mumbled, winking at his brother and being entirely okay with the setup.

“Why don’t Layla and I share a bed since someone is too chicken to sleep with a girl?” Kate smirked as she stepped out of the car, harassing the elder Winchester.

“I’m not chicken! Plus, it’s different sharing a bed with a brother. Especially when your brother is literally a giant,” Dean explained, grabbing Sam’s bag from the back and tossing it to him, then grabbing his own.

Once they were settled in, Dean decided to go get dinner and some drinks, after hitting the bar, of course. He even asked Layla to come with him, which was a surprise to everyone in the room, even himself.

Sam volunteered to stay behind with Kate and keep her company. Which earned a suggestive face from Dean, Sam avoided him like the plague. When Dean and Layla had left, Kate had asked Sam, rather awkwardly, if he could help her get out of her shirt. Normally Layla would help but she was gone.

“You should really take better care of yourself,” Sam said as he slowly peeled the shirt off Kate.

Kate winced as the sleeve caught her damaged arm and Sam apologized. It'd been a week since the assassination attempts and Kate thought her arm was healing rather nicely. For having been used as a landing pad after falling two stories that is. The bruising had gone down and the tiny cuts the window glass had left behind were all but gone. It only ever hurt when she moved her arms a certain way. Kate got the feeling that she had probably sprained something.

“I think I do pretty well,” Kate shrugged lightly.

“Still. You're careless.”

Even after knowing her a week he knew this much. She'd helped them on a small hunt and put herself in danger more than once. One of those times she was almost decapitated. Kate pouted and turned her head away from the man, knowing full well he had a point. Sam sighed and tossed the shirt on the ground. He then grabbed Kate's bag and pulled out what looked like sleepwear, considering the fact that it had kittens on it.

“Don't judge me,” Kate mumbled, seeing the look on his face.

“Sure thing,” Sam chuckled.

He helped her put the nightshirt on and then the two sat there. If Layla were there she would've busted the awkward air with a random comment but she'd left with Dean. Both had been gone a little long. After a couple of minutes in the awkward silence, Kate had grown tired of the weight getting heavier on her shoulders.

“Why exactly do you care so much, Sam?” she asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. Kate could tell by just looking at him that something was up, but she had no clue what.

“I’d… rather not mention it…” Sam blushed, turning his head away. He could still see the smirk forming on her lips.

“Awe! Does someone have a crush on me?” Kate cooed, chuckling after at her comment. When Sam didn’t respond like he normally did, and his cheeks got darker, she realized she was correct, which made her own face flush. “O-oh… I didn’t know you -” Kate coughed awkwardly. “Well, what I mean is…”

Kate couldn't form any words, skipping over them like hopscotch. Really, what could she say? Thank you? Like that would make any sense, it'd make things even more awkward! He said it… so she could too! And there was nothing to it! Except her brain wasn't cooperating with her mouth. Kate took a breath.

“I…” Nothing came out.

Kate sighed, deciding to take the plunge. She quickly lifted herself on her tippy toes, pecking his cheek then pulled away, rushing to the bathroom to avoid the awkwardness. Before she could escape, Sam had gently grabbed her wrist, not letting her leave. Kate could have sworn she heard him whisper “don’t”.

Sam gently tugged the woman back to him, the two now chest to chest. Sam had now wrapped his arm around her waist, his other hand used to lift her chin up, pulling her into a soft kiss. Kate gave a squeak of surprise but the sound was muffled between her lips and Sam's. The two were like that for a moment, Sam kissing Kate and Kate standing stiff as a pole. Until she slowly relaxed into the kiss and sighed. Sam felt relieved when she did so, he had thought that maybe he had gone a little too far with the sudden kiss.

They slowly broke apart, Sam staring down at the woman and Kate returning the stare, her gaze half-lidded. Then she squeaked once more and her face flushed red. She looked at her feet for a few moments, and then back up at Sam.

Sam raised an eyebrow with a grin on his face. “I do have to say,” he whispered, “I have wanted to do that since we met.”

Kate couldn’t help but laugh lightly at his comment, resting her forehead on his chest. “Now that you’re taller, I’m sure it’s easier to reach my lips,” she teased, finally meeting his gaze again. “Although, if I’m being honest, I can agree with the long-time wait,” she whispered, just loud enough for the two to hear.

“I had a feeling, since you kissed my cheek and then totally ghosted me.”

Kate laughed, “Yep, that's me. The coward. Winning personality. 100%.”

Sam joined in with her laughter. “You're strange, you know that?” He looked down at her with an adoring gaze.

Kate nodded. “Yes, but I'm charming that way.”

The rest of the night went rather smoothly. Both Sam and Kate retired to bed after a small bet, as they hadn't seen Dean and Layla for a long minute. They were fast asleep when they were awoken by the hotel room door opening. Normally Sam would have been up in a split-second but he could tell it was Dean by the small puffs of laughter he was giving off. Kate stilled in his arms as Layla laughed as well.

“Okay,” Dean whispered, “whatever we do, we do _not_ mention this night. Ever.”

Layla nodded, “Agreed.” Then she smirked, running a hand up his arm. “I wouldn't mind a rerun if ever there ever was a need, or we forgot.”

In their bed, Kate was struggling to not bust up laughing. As was Sam, but he held it together rather nicely. Kate grinned and discreetly slipped an arm around her body to grab one of Sam's hands, one having been laying on her waist when they woke up. She slowly drew a pattern on his hand with her finger, a smirk on her face. It took two more times but Sam got the message; 2-0-dollar sign. He owed her twenty dollars.

Far away and in a rather discreet room no one would be able to find, Katy was slouched in a chair as she laughed at the tv screen in front of her. She looked like a couch potato in her opinion, but no one was around to judge her so she couldn't have cared less. Katy frowned when she noticed her popcorn bowl almost empty.

“Well that's a pity,” she mumbled dryly. “Oh well.”

Katy held up the bowl and left it there. It didn't fall to the ground the damn thing stayed in the air as if it were in space. Katy stared in astonishment. She stared at the viewers as if she were on The Office.

“I honestly didn't expect that to work.”

Katy shrugged and turned back to the tv, which had been rewound to the part where Kate and Sam had kissed. Katy cooed at the image and squealed. She'd been waiting for that to happen for a long time!

“So adorable!”

Katy wiggled around as she squealed and kicked. Suddenly the chair was no longer beneath her, she was rolling off of the chair, and onto the floor. Unfortunately, the floor was made of cloud so when Katy was supposed to have hit the floor, she fell right through it.

“Not again!” she yelled as she began to plummet from the atmosphere.

She fell a long ways before she landed in a lake. Then Katy sank to the bottom with a rather dark look on her face, arms crossed as she glared up at the surface of the water. She hated that floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness! That started to get a bit fluffy at the end, didn’t it? ;) I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as we did! We definitely slaved over it, much more so than the last chapter! HUGE thank you to Lumos2000 for helping me write this chapter. She probably hates me right about now XD  
> ~ K The Queen
> 
> I'll be researching murder methods later.  
> ~ Lumos2000


	4. Clowning Around

A few weeks had passed since the kiss, and it’s been on Sam and Kate’s minds the entire time. Since the gang was currently taking a break from hunting to catch their breath, they decided to stay in the current town and go to -

“The carnival? Dean Winchester actually wants to go have fun?” Kate jabbed as she tossed her bag, then her body onto the bed. The latest hunt had been exhausting! So much so that Kate didn't feel like moving for the next century.

“Hey! I’m a fun guy!” the man protested, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest.

As Kate went to speak, Sam laughed and sat next to her, leaning forward, “Since when, Dean? When was the last time we went to something like a carnival? Because I can’t think of anything for the past few years, actually.” He grinned, glancing over at Kate who was obviously enjoying the moment.

Dean pouted at the two and how they were picking on him. He was a fun guy! He was! “Well, if you don’t want to go, I’ll just take Layla and make it a date,” he grumbled, walking to the door then freezing in his steps. Daring to look at the pair on the bed, Dean watched as two people were staring right back at him, a smirk on their face. “You guys knew already, didn’t you?” Dean sighed, rolling his eyes as Kate wiggled her eyebrows at him. “I don’t want a word out of you, Kate. And don’t tell Layla you know!” he commanded. Kate pretended to zip her mouth and throw away the key. Dean sighed in defeat, again, and walked out to the car, waiting for the others so they could leave.

“So… it’s a date then?” Sam turned to Kate, rubbing his neck. He fidgeted, shifted his weight.

“It’s a date then,” Kate confirmed. They both left the room and got in the back seat of the impala, Dean driving off the moment the doors shut.

The silence lasted four minutes.

But it Kate's defence that was a record, and she couldn't hold it in.

“You know Sam? I think hunter-vampire babies are gonna be pretty badass, wouldn’t you say?” Kate smirked, glancing to the front seat as Layla whirled around to glare at the princess, annoyance clearly written on her face.

“You know?” she demanded. Layla turned her glare from Kate to Sam, and then rested her gaze on Dean.

“Don't look at me!” Dean yelped. “They already knew!”

“Yup! And I can’t wait to give y’all a hard time later,” Kate grinned. Layla and Dean knew they were in it for the long run. Sam just sat back and said nothing, a traitorous move in everyone's mind, yet all for different reasons.

* * *

“Come on, Sam! You can do it!” Kate cheered, throwing her fist in the air.

They were at one of of those cork gun games, but instead of shooting prizes and knocking them off, a person had to shoot moving point targets. With enough points anyone could get something off the very high top shelf of prizes. So with Sam's giftedness with guns, the game was a breeze. With one last shot at the target, Sam finally managed to reach the score he needed.

“You wanted the slinky, right?” he asked, setting the toy gun down in front of the slack-jawed, yet impressed, vendor.

“Yup! Gimme gimme,” Kate cackled, practically ripping the slinky from the vendor’s hands.

“Why did you want this, again? Dean’s normally the one obsessed with slinkies.” Sam smiled down at the woman as they walked, Kate protectively holding the huge slinky to her chest.

The street was fairly crowded but getting through was easy. Obviously they must've come on a busy day, as it was a weekend, which just made things more fun. In Kate's opinion anyway.

“I’m gonna trap Dean in it, then push him in the pond,” she cackled again, looking around for the said man.

“This is why I’m dating you,” Sam shook his head in bewilderment, laughing softly as they continued to walk towards the meeting point.

“Oh my god! Is that a slinky?” Dean gasped, rushing up to Kate who practically growled at him to get away.

“Sam! Hold him!” she exclaimed. Sam quickly jumped into action, grabbing Dean’s arms as Kate pulled the slinky down around his body, Sam moving his hands around when he had to.

“What the hell? You guys! Let me go!” Dean shouted. Their display began to draw attention and people looked at the three struggling, a few couples murmuring about what was happening.

“And into the water he goes!” Kate laughed, pushing Dean into the water. Unfortunately, this was the exact moment security started to rush toward them. “Oh god. Run!”

She grabbed Sam’s hand, who was practically dying of laughter, and drug him somewhere they could hide.It didn't take much searching, but Kate had them hiding behind one of the rides, a small smile on her face as she caught her breath, the tall moose smiling down at her.

“I think we’re clear,” she whispered, looking around the corner to make sure. Kate ducked her head back in as a man with a yellow shirt rushed by.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” Sam asked, no hesitation in his voice as he spoke. When Kate turned to face him, her eyes wide, he began to blush.

“What did you just say?”

“I, um… Will you be my girlfriend? I know we haven’t actually gone on a real date, besides this, but… I figured I should still ask.” He smiled brightly, eyes closed as he did. Sam hoped to the heavens that she wouldn't decline.

It was Kate's turn to blush as she admired his features while he spoke, which she didn’t hear a word of. When he was finished talking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, which he gladly returned.

“Of course I will,” she whispered, kissing his cheek before pulling away completely with a devious smirk on her face. “So... Should we go get ourselves kicked out?” she asked, a strange look in her eyes.

Sam raised an eyebrow in confusion. Before he could ask what she meant, Kate leaned in and started whispering in his ear, the man’s face getting brighter and brighter with each word.

“Kate! Even Dean isn’t ballsy enough to do that!”

A second passed and he chuckled, gently grabbing her shoulders before looking around to make sure no one could see them. He then smiled, grabbed her hand and rushed off to the “scary” ride and sneaking behind the scenes. A fair distance away two figures sat on a bench observing.

“Katy. Why are you stalking? Dean doesn’t like it when we watch, especially when they’re sleeping,” Castiel asked the woman lounging on a bench, watching everything play out with the pair.

She leaned her head back to look at Castiel for a moment. “Cas, that’s just weird,” she commented. “And-” she stood to face him, crossing her arms, “-I’m not stalking! I’m just making sure everything goes according to the plan.” Katy grinned, looking back to the ride Sam and Kate had snuck behind.

“God’s plan?” Cas asked in a curious tone, doing his usual cat-head-tilt thing.

Katy shook her head no, patting Castiel’s shoulder as she walked past him. “Nope, mine.”

“Where are you going! Aren’t you here to watch?” Cas called, annoyed that she was leaving already.

“Home! Watch out for them until I’m back.” She gave him a thumbs up before disappearing in the darkness of the Hall of Mirrors.

“Dean? You alright there?” Layla chuckled, walking up to the pouting man sitting at a picnic table with a torn up slinky, soaking wet.

“Your little princess is an asshole! She trapped me in the slinky and pushed me into the water!” He growled, gesturing to the pond and slinky as he spoke. Water he could handle, but did she really have to destroy such a priceless artifact?

As he spoke, Layla had to contain her laughter to the point that her face turned red. Finally, Dean finished talking, and Layla almost fell to the ground with laughter, holding her stomach. “That’s amazing! Oh my god, I wish I was there to see that!” she howled, banging her fist against the table a couple of times.

Dean sighed, a small smile appearing on his face as he shook his head at Layla’s laughing fit. “Okay okay, I guess it was funny,” he admitted, handing her his drink so she could take a sip and catch her breath again.

Once she had calmed down, they two had decided to head towards the food, both of their bottomless stomachs growling at them. Hotdogs, drinks, cotton candy, cheese pretzels… they were calling their names! Movement in a shadow caught Layla's eye.

“Oh my god,” Layla whispered, pulling on Dean’s sleeve and pointing in front of her.

When he gave in and looked where she wanted him to, he saw Sam and Kate sneaking away from the back of a ride with messy hair and clothes messed up. “Oh this is good.” He crouched next to Layla and watched them. Dean had to admit, Sam had to have some balls to pull that off, he commended them. He glanced over at Layla. “Should we leave? You know security must be looking for them.”

“Yeah, that sounds smart. I’ll be in the car,” she smiled, kissing his cheek before grabbing his keys and running off.

“Hey! I don’t want to get them!” he called to her, groaning since she was already out of sight. “Damn her and her vampire speed,” he mumbled, groaning yet again as he went to get the couple.

“Hurry Sam!” Kate whisper-shouted, holding the door open from the set of the ride, gesturing for the tall man to come before they were caught in the bad act. Once they were out, they started walking back to the food area and giggling, murmuring about how that had actually gotten away with that.

“I think you missed a button, Sammy,” Dean smirked as he walked up to them with his arms crossed. He then glared down at Kate, pointing a finger in her face, “And you! You ruined a perfectly good slinky!” He was offended by it too.

“Get your finger out of my face before I bite it off, Winchester,” She glared back, doing her best to keep a straight face.

“I’d listen to her, Dean. She’s good at that.”

“Ew! I didn’t want to know that!” Dean recoiled away from them, a disgusted look on his face. “Anyway, let's go. Security is looking for you so we need to go.” He groaned at the twin smug looks, annoyed that his night was cut short.

Once they were back at the hotel, Dean cleaned up and Layla went out to get drinks. The minute she was back, the four ate, drank, and laughed the night away before passing out in the early hours. Sam woke up to the sound of someone puking and his head spinning. Groaning, he lifted himself from the bed and went to the bathroom to find Kate huddled around the toilet bowl.

“You okay?” he asked, eyes squinted from the light shining through the window.

“I’ve never had a hangover before… Are they always this bad?”

“Sadly, yes,” Sam responded, chuckling a little before moving to sit on the bathtub next to her. He continually rubbed her back as another wave of nausea backhanded Kate.

It took another hour before Kate had finally finished puking and had passed out against Sam’s leg. Eventually, Kate fell asleep, so he carefully picked her up and moved her to the bed, falling back asleep beside her. A couple more hours passed before all of them had enough sleep to not puke. Once they were up, and marginally functional, they hit the road.

Far, far away Katy gasped for air as she fell to her knees, finally coming back to her world at the exact same time from when she left. She landed in the backyard, fortunately. There were sometimes when Katy would appear in a different location, usually her room or a block away, or that one time she ended up at a Chili's. Wasn't _that_ just an adventure.

“My god. That’s something I’ll definitely have to get used to,” she told herself, standing back up. The feeling slowly came back to her legs as she hobbled back inside her house.

When Katy walked back inside the house she began working on packing for the family’s move down to the coast, an event that she had mixed feelings for. She had lived in this house basically her whole life, and now they were leaving it and their friends, to move a place almost three hours away. The main reason for the move was because of her mother’s health, which was more important than almost anything.

“Katy! You ready to go?” her mother poked her head inside the girl’s room, smiling at her daughter as she was packing her bag for the small trip down to the new house.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you in the car,” Katy nodded, standing to get a couple more items from her closet as her mom left for the car.

The two and a half hour drive felt like ages, but in a few years, it would end up being a hop, skip, and a jump compared to what she would experience. When they got there, her mom’s boyfriend took them out for dinner and ice cream, Katy getting the cotton candy which tasted oh so good. That night, she ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor with a towel as a pillow, a bed pad, and a blanket. It wasn't that bad though.

That weekend, Katy and her mom went on a tour of the local university, even though she was only fourteen. Later that day, they explored the city and mall, went dress shopping, and had a meeting with the new co-op Katy would be attending. For those not in the know, a co-op is a school for homeschoolers. The next day, Katy attended the first prom, of many, with the co-op. There, she met Hunter, Anna, and Victoria.

Anna, being the fashionista that Katy finds out is a big part of her personality, along with the sarcastic demeanor, wore a medieval cape and a little medieval circlet that went great with her dress. Anna’s beautiful royal blue dress stood out against her dark skin and the silver jewelry contrasted greatly with her dark brown eyes. But it was her birthday, so she had to go all out!

Victoria, whom Katy had actually met first, had also worn a cape. Katy found out that Victoria and her mom had made it, which made the cape even more special. The red cape blended ever so slightly with her sunset hair color, and stood out against her black dress. Her green eyes stood out against all the other colors. She was sweet, and very outgoing, introducing herself to Katy first. The girl vaguely reminded Katy of a young Lily Evans.

Hunter, wore a cute brown dress and gloves to go with her dark blonde hair twisted into a cute style and resting on her shoulder. The brown dress matched her dark eyes in every way, but not her bubbly personality. Which was expressed through a small, sparkly tiara on her head and excited nature. Sadly, she didn’t sit with any of them, but they would soon become close friends.

Through the night, Katy danced and made friends with a lot of people, but she spent most of her time with one of the three girls, switching between them. She didn't decide who was her favorite, and she didn't want to. They were all good people, which made her happy all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello my friends! I’m so sorry for taking so long. I had midterms after the last chapter, trouble with my roommate, spring break, and medical troubles back home… and no motivation. XD But now it’s finished! And Lumos wants to kill me, like usual. XD  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> Don't be fooled by her, she ate food while I slaved away adding details, fixing spelling and grammar, and telling her that she needed more details.  
> ~ Still researching murder methods, Lumos2000


	5. Heartbreak and Bone-Break

The past few months had been harder than the Winchesters, Kate, and Layla could imagine. The apocalypse was right around the corner, the devil was out of Hell and wanting Sam to say ‘yes’ to being his vessel, Dean was the vessel for the archangel Michael with the same conditions as Sam, but the stubborn Winchesters refused to say ‘yes’. As a result Michael moved on to the boys’ half brother Adam, and waited for the day to fight his brother. Kate and Layla had practically been crushed under the emotional stress, but they stuck together to support Sam and Dean.

They had come up with a plan, but all parties had to agree on this, which wasn’t an easy task. Right now, the brothers were outside of Bobby’s shop, leaning against the hood of the Impala and talking about god-knows-what. Kate was inside with Bobby, watching them through the window.

“I can’t let him go, Bobby. He’s too important to me…” Kate spoke, leaning against the window with a beer in her hand, watching the brothers outside as a few tears escaped her eyes. Her arms were wrapped around herself in an attempt of comfort.

“I know, kiddo. But you have to,” Bobby sat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “If you love him that much, you need to support him through thick and thin, and he’ll do the same,” the man explained. Bobby had become Kate’s father figure, as she had never even known her real one. 

Normally, Kate would talk to Layla about these kinds of things, but right now the vampire was back in Transylvania, trying to find another solution to their current problem. They hadn’t heard a word since she left. Well, not much of one anyway. Kate still didn’t want to burden Bobby, since he was also family for the boys, so she knew this had to be hard on him as well. 

Kate had walked outside while the brothers were in the middle of a conversation, but she had to intervene, “Is this really what you want, Sam?” She crossed her arms, keeping a small distance between them. Her eyes were red and full of sorrow, and the look of determination in Sam’s eyes tore her up even more inside. She knew the answer long before he said it, and Kate just hoped she would have the strength to go through the plan.

Sam quickly turned to face her, instantly locking eyes. He understood the pain she felt… and he felt the same way. He stood from the hood, furrowing his eyebrows ever-so-slightly as the look in his eyes changed to match hers. Gently grabbing her shoulders, he looked her over before nodding, “Yes. I let him out, so I need to be the one to stop him.” 

Kate took in a deep breath, glancing to Dean before closing her eyes and pulling Sam into the tightest hug she’s ever given. She didn’t want to let go, but she knew she would have to.  After her embrace was reciprocated, she pulled away, forcing a brave face as she looked up at her love. “Alright,” she choked up. “I’m in.” 

Sam’s eyes widened slightly at her words. He was prepared for her to say she wouldn’t go, that it would hurt her too much. Or that Kate would yell and scream for Sam to change his plan. In all honesty, he wasn’t quite sure if he preferred this route because he knew she’d get hurt even more than if she stayed at Bobby’s. This was the moment that he couldn’t hold his emotion anymore, and tears fell from his eyes as he nodded. 

“Alright. Then let’s go.” He forced a smile, and so did Kate, as they walked to the car. The three drove off, Bobby’s car trailing behind.

Sam and Dean were, of course, in the front seat while Kate got some sleep in the backseat. All the crying had made her eyes heavy, and she couldn’t help it if the cold leather and the sound of the motor brought her comfort. She had woken up to turn her position, which was normal for her, but Sam was currently talking to Dean more about what was going to happen. Kate stayed quiet for a moment, slowly coming back to life from her dead sleep.

“If this goes our way, you know I’m not coming back, right?” Sam looked to his brother, waiting for a response, but Kate had beaten Dean to an answer.

Kate jerked upright, “What?” She leaned in between the seats in a blink of an eye, glaring at Sam before continuing. “No! We didn’t sign up for that, Sam!” she protested, anger and sadness laced in her voice as she spoke. Somehow she had missed that little tidbit of information, and the realization that Sam wouldn’t return filled her with even more grief, anger, distress, and frustration. Honestly, Kate was feeling overwhelmed.

“I agree with Kate, Sam. That wasn’t part of the plan,” Dean added, looking between the two but keeping his eyes on the road, for the most part. 

“You don’t have a choice, you guys!” Now Sam was the one to sound upset. It wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to marry Kate and to have a normal life with her! He wanted to give up hunting if he could and stop endangering himself and Kate. But he had to let that go for the greater good, no matter how much it hurt. 

“Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Sit in a motel room, drunk and crying all the time?” Tears returned to her eyes as she shouted at Sam. “And what about Dean? Do you honestly expect him, and me, not to figure out a way to bring you back?” her voice began to crack, and even Dean felt sad for her at this point. She couldn’t accept that she wouldn’t see him again. She wouldn’t! It just… it wasn’t going to happen!

Sam groaned, pulling on his hair slightly as he moved it out of his face, “Kate, you’re gonna go back to Othos, take back your crown, find a king, and live a life away from all this. Dean, you go back with her, settle down with Layla, and have the same peaceful, monsterless, apple pie life like Kate.”

There was a finality to his voice that neither Dean nor Kate liked. The fact that Sam had dared to tell them what to do, well that didn’t sit well with either of them. Not one bit.

“No!” the two shouted.

“Promise me!” 

Silence took over the car, the only other sound being the rumbling of the engine as they drove. Kate and Dean looked to each other, through the rearview as Sam waited for a response. Minutes passed before both parties sighed and nodded to the agreement. 

“Fine, Sam. We promise,” Dean conceded. He hated the promise, but he knew Sam wouldn’t budge.

Sam looked to Kate, wanting to hear the same from her. “Kate?” he whispered to hide the fact that his voice was breaking. 

Kate had her head down and she refused to look up. But when Sam called on her again, she gave in. There was a coldness in her eyes, almost like she was gone and someone else was talking. “This request kills me, Winchester. When you go, so does Kate.” 

“Honey-” 

“Don’t fucking call me that now!” she shouted, her heart shattering. Kate wanted Sam to call her that forever. “I love you, Sam. That is the only reason I’m agreeing to this. But you need to know how much it kills me,” she whispered before sitting back in her seat, looking out the window.

Sam stared at her as she spoke, speechless. He definitely regretted letting her come. He sighed, reaching back to take her hand in his, squeezing it tightly even though she didn’t do the same. “I love you, Kate,” he whispered, looking back at her again as she began to silently sob. 

Layla had met up with them at their destination, informing the group that she hadn’t found anything that would help. She had apologized profusely, throat seizing up every time she looked into Dean’s eyes. What followed was painful, but they managed to get through it. Sam had said yes, and Lucifer had gotten away with him. They all agreed that they wouldn’t let Sam die alone, so they rushed to the one place it had all began. Stull Cemetery. 

Dean, Kate, Layla, and Bobby watched wide-eyed as Castiel stepped forward, lit molotov in hand. “Hey, ass-butt!” Castiel shouted, chucking the bottle full of holy oil at Michael, who was currently possessing Adam. Michael shouted in pain as the flames engulfed his body before disappearing. 

“‘Ass-butt’?” Dean repeated as he looked over his shoulder at Castiel with a slightly disappointed and confused look on his face. Castiel only shrugged in response, it was the best insult he could come up with on the fly.

“Holy crap,” Layla muttered. If they weren’t in such a dire situation Kate would’ve given a remark saying how ironic that sentence was coming from a vampire.

“Castiel, did you just molotov my brother with holy oil?” Lucifer looked away from Dean, his annoyance at Dean turning into full blown anger now centered on the lower ranked angel. 

Castiel chuckled awkwardly, stepping back a little bit. “Uh, no.” 

Before he could say anything else, Lucifer snapped his fingers and the angel exploded, blood painting both Bobby and the girls in red. The non-angelic beings left in the cemetery stilled in shock. Kate stared at her red hands in horror.

“Sammy, are you in there? Can you hear me?” Dean asked, turning away from where Castiel had been blown to bits.

Lucifer then turned back to Dean who was still backed against the hood of the car. “You know Dean,” he said. “I tried to be nice… for Sammy’s sake, for Kate’s. But you… are such a pain… in my ass.” Lucifer grabbed the lapels of Dean’s jacket and threw him against the impala, smashing the windshield.

“Dean!” Layla screamed. She stepped forward to intervene but was stopped by Kate.

“Not yet,” she whispered.

Bobby shot Lucifer in the shoulder before he could further hurt Dean, Kate shouting as the gunfire sounded. Lucifer turned around to face Bobby when the man shot him again, right where Sam’s heart would be. Neither shot affected him. Now royally pissed, Lucifer snapped Bobby’s neck; Dean, Kate, and Layla yelling and screaming at the action. 

Lucifer growled in annoyance as Kate jumped on his back and put him in a headlock.  “Let Sam go, you bastard!” she shouted, refusing to loosen her grip. 

Lucifer shouted with anger before throwing his upper body forward and tossing Kate off and onto her back on the ground. “I’m sick of you getting in the way!” he growled, straddling her and grabbing her neck. Kate’s hands gripped Lucifer’s wrists to try and alleviate the pressure on her neck, but Lucifer wasn’t moved an inch. 

“Get off of her!” Layla charged, fangs out and ready to attack, but Lucifer was stronger. Taking one had away from Kate’s neck, he grabbed Layla’s shirt and threw her against a far tree. Layla yelled in pain as one of her vertebrae broke from the impact, falling to the ground and passing out. 

“Layla!” Dean shouted, worried Lucifer might have killed her. 

“S-Sam!” Kate wheezed as she struggled for air, trying her best to push Lucifer away. 

“Sammy is gone, princess,” he growled. 

Then his grip slowly tightened, and the pressure intensified. Kate choked and gasped, and then she wasn’t making sounds, just trying to rid herself of the thing above her. Lucifer’s grip tightened even more, and Kate’s neck broke. One last tear falling from her eye as she looked up at Sam, her arms falling to the ground. 

Lucifer then got up, and cracked his back with a sigh. “Now, where was I,” he smirked, pinning Dean to the hood of the impala before punching him over and over. 

“You can’t do this!” Dean yelled at his brother. 

Lucifer punched Dean, forcing him off the hood and on the ground. Blood splattered against the impalas door and the ground, pouring from Dean’s mouth. He slowly stood up only for Lucifer to punch him again, forcing Dean against the back window.

“Yes I can. And Sammy here can see and feel everything. He’s gonna feel the snap of your bones! Just like he did Kate’s.” 

“Sam, it’s okay,” Dean coughed, his bloodied face turning Lucifer’s knuckles red. He was interrupted with and the punch, and then another, another, more, the blows kept on landing. “It’s okay Sam, I’m here. I will always be here.”

Lucifer went to throw another punch, but a glare on the roof of the impala made him stop dead in his tracks. His eyes slowly trailed to the side of Dean’s head, resting on the army soldier in the door. Memories with Dean, Kate, Layla, Cas, and Bobby flashed through Sam’s mind. 

_ The army man Sam crammed in the ashtray, it’s still stuck there. The legos Dean shoved into the vents; to this day, when the heat comes on, you can hear ’em rattle. This is what makes the car theirs.  _

The memories could be seen by both Lucifer and Sam as they rushed forward. Sam and the army man, the legos, his and Dean’s initials carved into the car, the two fighting over music, the pranks pulled, Dean’s obnoxious singing and the times Sam joined in, meeting Kate and Layla, the laughter shared between the four of them. Each and every memory that he and Dean shared, and later on the two Winchesters and Kate and Layla. 

Suddenly Lucifer wasn’t in control anymore, he was being shoved to the back of Sam’s mind as Sam’s consciousness surged forward. The grip on Dean loosened and he slumped to the ground, his legs unable to hold him. Sam choked and took several steps back, breathing heavily.

“Don’t worry, Dean. I’ve got him,” Sam huffed, struggling to hold back the fallen angel. He looked to Kate on the ground and his heart shattered. He had killed the woman he loved, now he deserved the hell he was about to jump into. 

Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed the Horsemen rings and tossed them on the ground, saying the words that would make the cage doors open. The hole appeared, screeching and sucking in wind. And then Michael returned and tried to talk Sam away from the edge, telling him that it was his destiny to fight Lucifer. It didn’t budge Sam one bit. Sam looked at Kate’s body, a rush of emotion falling over him once more, and then he looked at Dean. He took in his bloodied face and guilt filled him. Then he steeled himself and started falling backwards. Michael grabbed his shirt to try and pull him away, but Sam ended up pulling Michael, and Adam, into the cage with him.

The gate threw sparks and closed, leaving the burning rings behind. Dean crawled over to the rings, holding them in his hands as he sat on his knees at the very spot his brother left him forever. He was all alone now, Sam was gone, Layla was gone, even Kate and Bobby were.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel said, walking up to the man. 

Dean’s eyes widened and he whipped around to face the angel, “Cas, you’re alive?”

“New and improved,” Cas slightly smiled, placing his fingers on Dean’s forehead, all of his wounds instantly healing. 

Dean gasped when he could breathe better. Castiel then walked to Kate, placing his whole hand on her forehead and bringing her back to life. Kate gasped for air, quickly sitting up and placing a hand over her neck as she looked to Dean, hoping that Sam was close by. Judging by the look on his brother’s face, she knew he was gone. Her hand dropped from her neck and she stared ahead, eyes seeing nothing. Cas wandered over to Layla, and healed her back, waking her up in the process. Last but not least, he healed Bobby.

“Cas, are you God?” Dean questioned, helping up Layla while Bobby helped up Kate. 

The angel chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s a nice compliment, but no. Although I do believe he’s the one that brought me back.” 

“Thank you, Cas. For bringing us back.” Kate forced a smile as she thanked the angel. At the moment, she wasn’t sure if she’d rather be dead or alive. And she was scared of the answer if she did choose. But she knew that she has to keep her promise to Sam, no matter how much it hurt. 

* * *

Back at Bobby’s, this would be the last time the group would see him for a while. Kate and Layla, probably wouldn’t be back to the states for at least a few years, but Dean would be back sooner. He’d go to Othos, help Kate get the throne, and come back to find a way to get Sam out of the cage, even though it isn’t what his brother wanted. He agreed to live a life with Layla, he didn’t say anything about not bringing him back. Sam would hate the loophole, and he would no doubt yell at Dean, but Dean didn’t care. He wanted his brother back.

Katy had finally come back from her own world and was leaning against the car, waiting for the three to part ways. Kate was the first one to come to the car, sadness written across her face. “How was it back home?” Kate wanted to change the subject to anything other than what had just happened. So why not learn a little about their mysterious friend?

Katy gave a kind smile, knowing exactly how the woman felt. It was her that put Kate through this, after all. “It was fine. Spent time with my mom, got sick, went to prom -” 

“Wait, aren’t you like, really old? Why were you at prom?” Kate was confused by the statement, not even taking her appearance into consideration. Just the fact that she was… a being of higher power. Or something.

“Back home, I’m only fourteen.” 

“What? Fourteen? Seriously!” She was completely dumbfounded at this point. “Wait, so… you leave your home and family, to come spend months on end with us?” Now the princess felt bad for stealing her away from her family back home, but she received a smile from traveler. 

“Yes… but time goes by much slower, than it does here.” 

“How much slower?” 

“It actually freezes whenever I come here. I could be here with you for years, and not age at all.” 

Kate scoffed, leaning against the car next to her. “That's insane. But nonetheless, thank you for being here with us.” Kate smiled at the girl relaxing next to her. 

“Not a problem. Y’all are family, so I’m happy to be here.” She patted Kate’s shoulder as Dean finally walked up. “Time to head out. I’m driving so in the passenger seat you go, Dean,” she winked, giving the man a small smile before getting comfortable in the car. 

Kate and Layla slept the whole time, but Dean was in and out of sleep. Whenever he woke up, he’d hear Katy mumbling, almost like she was having a conversation. He had questioned her once, but she only smiled and told him to fall back asleep. By the morning, they had gotten to the city they needed to fly out of, according to Katy, and got to the airport. 

“Alright, get your bags,” Katy told them as she stepped out of the car.  

“Um, Katy? Why are we parked on the airstrip?” Dean questioned, covering his ears as a plane took off. “And why a plane!” he groaned, not liking the idea. 

“Don’t worry, Dean. I’ll drug you up and you’ll be good to go.” 

“Okay co-” he cut himself off, realizing what the “young” girl had said. “Wait, what did you just say?” 

Katy chuckled, shrugging him off and directing the group to one of the bays. 

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be here!” a security guard confronted them, his arms crossed over his chest. “You need to leave immediately before you’re escorted off the premises.” 

Katy smiled, patting the man’s shoulder. The man looked down at her hand, anger on his face, but quickly looked back, almost like he was dazed. “My apologies, Madam. Right this way,” he bowed his head before quickly guiding them through the doorway and to the plane. 

“Kate, what the hell did she just do to him?” Dean whispered to the woman, keeping a watchful eye on Katy as they walked. 

Kate only shrugged, following Katy to the plane. “Who’s the pilot?” 

“Me, silly,” Katy grinned, bringing down the steps so they could all go inside.

Kate, then Layla stepped in, but Dean hesitated. “Katy, if you try to pull anything, I will kill you,” he warned, his voice quiet and his eyes stern. 

Katy smiled, finding his worried nature kind of funny. “Calm down, Dean. I’m the good guy.” She gestured for him to continue inside, which he hesitated doing. Katy stepped into the plane, and pulled up the steps, then went to the pilot’s seat and started it up. 

“Have you flown a plane before?” Dean was worried for the flight, tightening his seat belt so much he could barely breathe. 

“Of course! But it has been a while since 1942…” she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck a  bit. “Okay, buckle up guys!” she cheered, driving the small plane out of the bay and on the airstrip, taking off as Dean started to freak out. Surprisingly, she did just fine and knew exactly what she was doing. 

“What’s the plan, exactly? Like when we get there? They know what I look like, and I doubt anyone would be willing to let us strangers stay at their home,” Kate huffed, unsure of how this is all going to work. 

“Well, I have a place for us to stay. But I’ll still have to train y’all on how to fight.” 

“We know how to fight, though.” 

Katy laughed, “Compared to the soldiers of Othos? No you don’t. You may be able to take down a couple people, but you’ll be going up against an entire army, Kate. And the King as well. So you’re going to need to know how to fight.” 

“Do you honestly expect us to go against this army on our own? We’re not going to try and find people to help us?” Kate’s fear and nerves started to kick in. It was practically going to be a suicide mission! One or two more members in their group and they may as well be the Suicide Squad.

“Don’t worry. You’ll have me helping. The biggest thing is getting in the castle, and not even fighting most of the army. Just the ones inside, but they’ll be the hardest,” Katy explained, sighing a little. “We’ll talk more when we get there, so just relax for now.” 

And that they did. They drank, and laughed, and cried, including Dean. They weren’t entirely drunk, but the were definitely feeling it. Not long after, they reached the airport in Othos. Kate was mesmerized by the sight of her country, and terrified by the fact that she would be the ruler in a few months time. Once the plane landed, a man was standing in front of a car, holding a sign that was for Katy. 

“Horas, that isn’t very subtle, you know,” Katy smiled, jumping down the stairs to hug the tall, brute of a man. 

“Good to see you, miss.  Was the flight okay?” His voice was deep and calm, and he didn’t even notice the others step off of the plane. 

Katy nodded, pulling away. “Yeah it was fine,” she responded, gesturing for the others to walk up, which the did. “Horas, this is Dean, Layla, and Kate,” Katy introduced them, each person smiling and shaking the man’s hand.

Kate was the last to shake his hand, but he refused her, instead kneeling and bowing his head. “Your highness.” 

“Horas! Dude get up before someone sees!” Katy exclaimed, looking around their surroundings to make sure no one saw. The man quickly got to his feet and apologized before opening the door of the car for them, gesturing for them to get inside. Once the door shut, Kate spoke up. 

“Who is that man, Katy?” She gestured to Horas. 

“Horas? Don’t worry about him. He’s a friend from Greece that came here to help me out. Just don’t mix him up with the actual god, Horus, of Egypt,” she explained. Although, when was the last time Katy was even in Egypt? 

The group was tired of traveling at this point. They had been shoved into multiple cars, and had a 10 hour, non stop, flight to the country. A hangery mood started setting in, mostly for Dean but he held it together pretty well. 

Finally they had reached their final destination, and Katy had made them a grand meal. “Y’all eat, I’ll be back soon,” Katy winked, a smile on her face before she quickly left the room. “Horas, make sure they don’t leave. All hell would break loose if Kate was spotted. And keep them protected.” Katy left before the man could even respond. 

Dean and Layla had gone to sleep, but Kate couldn’t. There was just too much going on at the moment. Her mind was racing, and all she could do to keep from having a panic attack or something was sit on the beach, watching the waves in the moonlight. 

“I used to do the same thing when I’d get stressed.” Katy commented as she walked out onto the cold sand, sitting next to Kate as they watched the stars. “Wanna talk about what’s eating you?” 

Kate sighed, resting her head on her knees. “If I asked you questions, will you answer honestly? To all of them?” 

“Of course.” 

“Are you God?” she finally looked over at the girl who chuckled softly at the question. 

“Not the God that you know. But I’m friends with him, and I'm a pretty high ranking entity. So a minor god, maybe?” Katy shrugged, looking to Kate as she waited for the next question. 

“Have you had anyone you love die? And when I say love, I mean like the way I love Sam?” She felt bad for asking the question, but she was also pretty sure it would help her mourn. 

Katy hesitated, pointed up to the stars. 

“You see the constellation up there? The one that looks like a helmet?” She waited to see if Kate had found it before continuing. When she received a nod as her response, she continued, “That’s my late husband.” 

Kate lifted her head a bit and looked back to the house, then to Katy. She didn’t know how to respond, so she changed the subject. “Can we win this battle?” 

Katy nodded, stood up and stretched. “With me, yes. Without me, maybe. But you definitely need to let me train you.” 

Kate sighed before standing as well, looking up at the stairs for a few minutes before heading inside to sleep. Katy slowly trailed behind her. 

A couple months had passed and the day before the coup had come. Dean, Kate, and Layla had trained every day with Katy in preparation. All of them had at least once thrown an angry fit for one reason or another, but their training continued. But then Dean was going back to the States because of a certain phone call he got from Bobby. 

“Dean, the fight is supposed to take place tomorrow, and you’re  _ leaving _ ?” Layla was hurt that he’d leave them so soon, so close to the Promised Day - as Katy had called it once, and wouldn’t even tell them why. 

“ _ Layla! _ ” Dean raised his voice, just to get her to stop lecturing him. He sighed and shut the door, walking back over to her and pulling her in a tight hug. “I’m sorry for leaving, but it’s important” 

“If it’s so important, you can at least tell me what it is.” 

“Sam is alive,” he pulled away, but kept hold of her shoulders. Her eyes had widened at the comment, almost like she didn’t believe it. “You can’t tell Kate, otherwise she’ll want to come too.” 

Layla nodded slowly in full agreement with Dean. No one could take the chance of Kate leaving and traveling back to the States, not when her place was needed somewhere there in Othos.

“Are you coming back, though?” 

“Of course. I just need to get Sam and make sure he’s okay, then I’ll come back with him.” Dean smiled and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Layla. Don’t die while I’m gone,” he chuckled, winking at her playfully as he walked out the door. 

Layla sighed, plopping down on the bed. “Love you too, Winchester,” she mumbled before the door busted open. Layla jumped to her feet and squeaked as Kate rushed in. 

“Layla! Come on, we have to go over the plan again before tomorrow.” She was excited, which was certainly different from how she’s been acting these past couple of weeks. Usually she spent her time staring out windows thinking about who knows what, or nervously twitching as their plans were drawn up and drilled into their brains.

When Layla walked out, Katy had dresses laid out on the chairs, and some kind of high tech devices placed on the table then she started to explain the plan. 

“Alright, so these are your armor packs.” 

“Armor packs?” Kate was confused by statement. They’d be fighting in armor? Like medieval armor?

“Yeah. Do you not remember your mother’s armor?” Katy sat down, holding one of the small circular devices and tossing it from hand to hand in amusement. 

Suddenly something clicked in Kate’s head. A couple glimpses of her mother went through her head. “Oh yeah! I remember it now. What about it?” 

Katy smiled, holding out the small disk to Kate. “This is it. She wanted you to have it,” 

The woman looked from the disk then back to Katy, switching between the two a couple of times before taking the disk and admiring it. “This is her armor? I don’t remember it being like this,” she chuckled awkwardly, unsure of if she actually wanted something something so small. “Katy, was my mom a fairy and I didn’t know it?” 

Katy laughed, a little too loudly, then shook her head. “No you weirdo! You’re human. Yes, your eyes do change to green when you’re  _ crazy _ pissed, but you’re one hundred percent human. The armor is just really compact.” 

“How techy is this country?” 

“More than you know.” Katy then sighed and stood up, stretching a little. “You two rest for tomorrow. I have a conversation I need to go have, so if you’ll excuse me…” She yawned slightly before stepping into her room and locking her door, then going to the bathroom and doing the same. She then took out her phone, and dialed Bobby, who instantly answered. “Hey Bobby, hangin’ in there?” A smile smile appeared on her face as she spoke. 

“Hey Kid. Yeah I’m doing just fine,” he responded, grabbing yet another beer from his fridge. “What’s up? Is it important?” 

“Yup.” 

“Then go on.” 

“Tell Dean that he, and Sam, aren’t allowed to come back under any circumstances until he solves the puzzle. Do you understand?” Her voice was stern, and almost sounded deeper as she spoke. It was obvious that this was something important, and she’d be pissed if they didn’t listen to her. 

“Uh, okay. What’s the puzzle?” 

“Dean will know what I’m talking about when he figures it out. That’s all I’m going to tell you, have a good night, Bobby.” She then hung up, and groaned a little, rubbing her face “I’m not looking forward to what comes after…” she mumbled before getting back up and going to sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well, Lumos wants to to kill me even more than she already does. Is there ever a day that our battle will end? I will treasure that day… If I haven’t died of old age by the time it comes XD Hope y’all enjoyed! I’ve now started on chapter 6! XD poor poor Lumos.  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> Two chapters… in two fucking days. NOT EVEN I DO THIS SHIT WHAT THE HELL!! I feel like actually murdering people. Readers, this person starved me to get this done, now enjoy!  
> ~ Lumos2000
> 
> Language my young jedi.  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> In the words of Levi, “Tch, shut up.”  
> ~ Lumos2000


	6. Where's My Epic Background Music?

The Promised Day had finally arrived for Katy, Layla, and Kate. The plan would work, Kate would take the throne and rule Othos. Sadly for her, it would be without her love, but Katy knew better. Katy had gotten them on the list to the dance/fundraiser under false identities, so they wouldn’t have to worry as much.

Katy’s dress was a deep red with gold details on the chest, a slit in the skirt, long sleeved, and backless. There was a small area between her breasts that could be seen by whoever, but there was zero chance of anything happening even if she did jumping jacks. Her blonde hair was down and curled, and her makeup was fairly basic with eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lip gloss. The gold eyeshadow that contrasted with her Caribbean green eyes and red lip gloss were the only pieces that stood out. 

Kate wore a royal blue gown, fitting for her role and title. The back was crossbody and silver, which was the one part on the dress that stood out. The dress dipped down fairly far in the front but the skin and cleavage that could be seen was minimal, as the dip wasn’t much more than a sliver of an area. Her hair was in a bun and her make up was simple as well, having gone with nothing more than black and silver eyeshadow to match her blue eyes and a natural-colored lipstick. 

Layla wore an elegant light pink dress with tulle as the main material, two spaghetti straps arching over her shoulders and down her naked back. The pink dress also showed cleavage, but her slip was wider than Kate’s and ended inches below her breasts where it met with a pink sash that circled her figure. There was still no chance of anything being glimpsed. Her brown hair was pulled over one shoulder and curled into loose beach waves with minimal makeup to add to her brown eyes. She didn’t need it at all, being a vampire, but both Kate and Katy said she would stand out too much with her supernatural beauty.

Since the girls knew they’d be fighting, they didn’t want their makeup to smudge, and if it did they didn’t want to look like a complete psycho once their armor came off. Katy didn’t actually mind if it did, and when the girls asked why Katy answered with a reference about some Winter Soldier’s raccoon eyes neither woman understood.

“Alright, here are your armor and weapon disks.” As Katy spoke, she handed the girls each item as the name was said. “Find a place to hide them, but also some place you can easily touch the button to activate them.”

“So not prison style, then?” Layla smirked at her joke, laughing a little when Katy blushed a little awkwardly. 

“No! You weirdo,” she shook her head, hitting Layla’s arm playfully. “Put them where they need to be, and we’ll head out.” And that they did. Horas was the driver to the castle while all three ladies sat in the back seat. As they approached the castle they made last minute preparations., which would’ve happened even if they had years to plan in advance. When they pulled in the gate, Kate was admiring the large home. “This will be your home by the end of the night, Kate,” Katy whispered, a hand on the woman’s shoulder and squeezing gently. 

“Am I ready for this?” Kate whispered, having yet another moment of worry. It was natural to be nervous when performing a coup d'etat.

“I wouldn’t have brought you here if you weren’t,” Katy smiled, pulling away as the car parked.  Katy glanced over the two before Horas opened the door and helped her out of the car and her tone became serious. It was time for their plan to be put into action, there would be no going back. “Don’t let your guard down for anyone but each other, and even then someone may be nearby. You have your armor as well, yes?” 

“Of course, M’Lady,” Horas gave a kind smile as he spoke, hoping the guards didn’t hear the conversation. 

Next was Kate to step out, then Layla. All three women walked in with guards escorting them, just like Katy had said would happen. They were then escorted into the ballroom where chatter was thrown all around. The king sat high on his throne, observing until the festivities began. Kate’s eyes darkened from blue to green in anger with sight of the man on the throne, knowing that he was the man that killed her mother. Her blood boiled and her fists clenched, but she somehow managed to keep a smile on her face as everyone looked at the three women. Her hunter instincts told her to end it now, before something bad happened, but her head told her to listen to Katy, and wait for her signal. 

Katy was dragged off to talk with one man who was obviously interested while Kate and Layla were pulled into a woman’s group to talk about fashion and the latest gossip. They had to pass time until the sun went down, which thankfully wouldn’t take too long. Kate and Layla had been introduced to five other women and were just about to hear about how Jane (who was absent at the moment of course) had just married her fifth husband. They also learned that all of her previous husbands had died under mysterious circumstances after Jane had been with them between two and five years. Without sufficient evidence no one has been able to pin the deaths on Jane and somehow the fifth husband still married her even after knowing her suspicious past. The tale ended with the rumor that the husband was recently sick when Jane found out she was pregnant, and then suddenly the husband was fine weeks later. The woman of the group gossiped that either Jane was after the money each man had, as they were fairly wealthy, or she was just looking for someone to give her a child.

Kate wasn’t sure what to think but Layla was fairly certain the woman was after the money but with the pregnancy Jane must’ve felt guilty for endangering the life of her future child’s father that she cured him of whatever ailment he had. The women of the group nodded at Layla’s theory, seriously considering the idea.

The darkness in the sky finally started to settle in and then it was the time for the plan to begin. Layla and Kate excused themselves from the lovely gossip group and began their part of the plan. They were to draw the kings attention and curiosity, while Katy went to set up the barrier disks for her own distraction to come. When done and Katy signaled her, Kate was to press the button on her remote device she had tucked away, so that only a few guards, the king, and the girls would be stuck in the ballroom. But they still had to get everyone else out; Katy had to cause a distraction. What better way to do that than with an explosion? 

“Might I have this dance, young lady?” King Vortigern bowed his head ever-so slightly as he approached Kate, holding his hand out for her to take. 

Kate almost jumped when he spoke, not even noticing him walk up to her. “Um, of course your highness,” she forced a smile as she spoke. Her skin crawled with disgust as she took the man’s hand, letting her lead her to the dance floor. Luckily, Katy and Layla could hear the conversation in case assistance was needed, but at the time, Katy was finding the perfect place to plant the bomb. 

“Fantastic,” the king smiled wickedly. 

Kate knew he had to be up to something, she could feel it in her gut. Vortigern wore a black, medieval style outfit, like something you’d see on Game of Thrones, with a deep purple undershirt. His crown was golden decorated with amethyst and lapis lazuli, a strange combo that somehow worked for someone of his darkness. 

“So, young lady, how come I’ve never seen you here before?” 

“Oh, I just moved here with a couple friends, your highness.”  Kate spun to the beat of the song, Vortigern bringing her back to the regular dancing position. “We figured this would be a good place to come meet the people we might be working with in the future.” 

The king hummed as he listened to her talk. He asked a few more questions but the song started to come to an end, which was Katy’s cue to head back to the ballroom. “Well, it was certainly lovely to dance with you-” the song began it’s finishing beat as Vortigern dipped Kate, leaning close to her ear, and she could feel his hot breath on her skin, “ - Princess.” 

“Shit,” Katy mumbled as the whispered word came over the comm, time to cause a scene. She ran through the hall as lady like as she could, screaming as she set off the detonation rather than signaling Kate. “Explosion! Everyone evacuate!” 

The king and Kate both looked in the direction of Katy, the young girl smirking. Before Vortigern had a chance to drop her, Kate pushed herself away from him, activating the barriers once all the civilians were out. “Took you long enough,” she scolded Katy who only chuckled and shrugged, obviously she wasn’t intimidated at all. Kate sighed, before standing next to Layla and Katy. “How’d you know it was me?  _ ‘Your highness’ _ ?” she mocked the king’s title, slightly rolling her eyes as she said it. 

“Because, my dear girl. You have your mothers eyes. And it was the same look she had before I cut her head off and put it on a pike, like I’ll be doing with you,” he snarled, drawing his blade, which activated his armor to cover his body, his guards doing the same. Currently it was about 11 to 3, counting the king.

Kate growled, activating her own armor and weapons, Layla and Katy following suit. “I won’t allow it, you bastard!” And with that, the two parties charged, an audience behind the barrier watching the scene. They were no longer concerned for the explosions that had stopped, and there was no fire so no one was in any immediate danger.

Layla used her speed to her advantage, running a couple men through with her sword, licking the blood off to scare the shit out of the next guy. “You cut a piece of my hair, asshole,” she growled, rushing toward the next guy and throwing him against the barrier, which electrocuted him when he made contact. 

Nine guards remained and the audience took a step back from the barrier, now knowing what it did.

“You’re just a kid! And you think you can defeat one of the king’s right-hand men?” a guard laughed as he went for Katy, who seemingly disappeared as he charged her. 

“Oh? Well, maybe-” the guard turned around to face her. Her sword was sheathed and her wings were out, her green eyes now a blood-red, “-you should do some reading on history!” Katy grabbed his collar, flying through the roof and tossing him as far as she could, which was to the ocean on the other side of the mountain. There was no way the man would survive hitting the water a few hundred miles per hour.

Eight.

Katy lowered herself to the ground and another guard came after her, whom she easily blocked. It ended up being a distraction as a second guard came behind, digging his sword in her wing, and the woman shouted in pain. Grabbing the neck of the man in front of her, her eyes turned to black as she growled at the guard behind her, slamming him against the barrier with the same wing he had stabbed. The man in her grasp was gasping for air, but she didn’t loosen her grip one bit. “It’s rude to attack a young, defenseless woman like that,” she smirked as she spoke, dropping him to the ground and thrusting her blade into his chest. 

Six.

“You okay?” Layla approached Katy with caution, worried she might slap her with one of her wings. “Want me to pull that out?” 

“Please, I can’t reach,” the young girl chuckled half heartedly, groaning as Layla pulled out the blade. Katy sighed, putting her wings back to allow it to heal. 

“Since when did you get wings?” 

“Since always. Let's focus on the task at hand,” Katy said as Layla snapped a man’s neck.

Five. 

Kate’s attention was focused on Vortigern, keeping his attention on her and away from the others as they took out his men, which seemed gracefully easy for them. 

“So, you have the goddess on your side, I see. Wouldn’t that be considered cheating?” Vortigern commented, a sly smirk on his face as their swords clashed. 

“You let your guard down,” Kate swept her foot under his, tripping him onto his back and instantly positioning her blade at his chest. “That can get you killed,” she smirked. 

The man wasted no time before kicking her in the chest, the woman groaning as she stumbled back onto one knee, using her sword for support as she caught her breath. “And  _ you _ let the small moment get to your head. Which can also get you killed, you insolent fool,” Vortigern remarked, standing and walking towards Kate. One of his men flew into him and knocked him to the ground. 

Kate laughed, looking to her friend who was pretending to dust off her hands. “Nice timing!” she cheered.

“You’re welcome,” Layla winked in return before heading back to business. 

Four.

Kate turned to Vortigern. “Did that hurt, your highness?” Kate mocked, a hand on her chest like she was worried. “Because I sure hope it did,” she chuckled, stretching her arms a little. 

“Shut up, you idiot! I’m just getting started,” he informed as he pushed off the body and stood to his feet, preparing himself for the fight again. 

“I was sure hoping you’d say that.” Kate charged the man, their blades clashing over and over again, the two disregarding the fighting going on behind them. 

_ Clink, clink, clink.  _

Kate growled as Vortigern tried to slice her head off, ducking under the blade only to receive a knee to the chest. Pain flared through her as the wind was knocked from her lungs and Kate gasped as she took a step back. She took a breath and charged once more, sidestepping the punch and sword aimed at where she was only a moment ago. Vortigern grinned madly as he kept hacking away, no clear target in mind except for her head, which Kate used to her advantage. With one swift uppercut she sent the man stumbling back and she followed suit with another punch to the face.

One man left standing. King Vortigern. 

Katy and Layla slowly circled the two from a distance, but Kate seemed to be the only person who noticed. Vortigern was too obsessed with trying to hack off Kate’s head, it made his slices sloppier and easier to calculate. The King and Kate were beginning to tire, but thanks to the training Kate had, along with her age, she had the upper hand. One last strike -  _ clink _ \- and the king’s sword was across the room. Surprisingly, Kate was able to roundhouse kick the king to his knees, her armor doing nothing to hinder the movement.

“Damn!” Layla and Katy exclaimed in unison, along with the crowd on the other side of the barrier. 

Layla saw her chance, and quickly got behind the King, restraining the man by holding his arms behind his back. “You’ve been beaten. How’s it feel?” she whispered to him, the man just glared at her then back to Kate who stood in front of him. 

Kate panted, readying her sword. “Here’s a taste of your own medicine,” she growled mercilessly, but her sword was stopped mid swing. The woman looked to her side to find Katy was the one who stopped it, a stern look on her face. “What the hell, Katy? Isn’t this what we’re here for?” 

Katy shook her head, looking at the dozens of citizens behind the barrier. “Yes, but our main goal was to get your throne back, which you’ve done.” 

“But we also came to kill the bastard! Why’d you stop me?” 

“Because you need to think logically!” Katy barked back. “You need to think about how you want your people to see you. Then make your decision.” 

Kate was quiet, and she knew the girl had a point. The surrounding area became clear and Kate could feel the eyes of dozens of hundreds of people upon her, all waiting to see what she would do to their dethroned king. Suddenly the weight of the whole situation was on her shoulders, and it intimidated her. She had to think rationally, level-headed. If she was going to take her place on the throne, she’d have to handle any type of intimidation thrown at her. Within moments, she had come to her decision. “I hear you, Katy, But I can’t allow him to go free, or even be in prison. He could make plans to escape and take the throne again.” 

Katy smiled a little, it seemed like Kate had made the choice Katy was hoping she would, or so she assumed. And with that, Katy turned and pressed a button and the barriers fell as Kate dug her sword into Vortigern’s chest. The choking sound made Katy turn around in surprise as Kate pulled her sword out and sheathing it. Their audience slowly crowded around them and all three of the girls’ armor returned to disk form. Much to Kate’s surprise, the crowd clapped and kneeled before their rightful queen, a couple people starting a small chant for her, one which Katy and Layla gladly joined in on. 

The next couple weeks consisted of repairs, re-decorating, and Kate getting used to all the queenly stuff. Towards the end of those weeks, Kate had stumbled onto a text from Dean to Layla. To be fair her phone was left unattended. 

“ _ I’m working on getting Sam better. Be back soon, _ ” it read.

Kate froze, dropping the phone onto Layla’s desk. Her heart thudded madly against her chest as her wide eyes stared at nothing. Trembling, she glanced down and read the message once more. And then again. A drop suddenly appeared on the desks surface and Kate jerked in surprise, reaching a trembling hand up to feel the tears streaming down her face. She wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad at the news that Sam was alive. She was crying so that meant she was happy, didn’t it? But what was that other feeling?

Then it came to her. She was ticked off that Layla, and she assumed Katy, knew that Sam was alive, and didn’t tell her. No, scratch that, she wasn’t ticked off.  _ Kate was fucking livid. _ The tears dried and Kate slowly felt heat envelop her as her anger was directed at Layla and Katy.

Rushing out of Layla’s new office, Kate made her way to Katy’s office, fury in her eyes and movements. “Did you know?” she shouted as she approached the girl. Katy looked a little shocked at the question, but then her expression turned sad and resigned. That was all Kate needed to see to know the answer, “You knew Sam was alive and you didn’t tell me? How could you!” 

“Kate I can explain,” Katy put her hands up in defense as she stood from her chair. “Sam… isn’t the same, right now. Dean is making sure he gets better, then he’ll bring him to Othos.” 

Katy tried to explain how Sam had come back  _ soulless _ but Kate was having none of it, too focused on the fact that neither of her friends trusted her with the information.

“Nonetheless, you didn’t tell me!” 

“And for that, I’m truly sorry-” 

“I want you to leave. I’ll let you know when you can come back,” Kate crossed her arms as she spoke. It broke her that her friends had lied to her for weeks now, but she stood her ground in telling one to leave. She’d figure out what to do with Layla in a moment.

Katy smiled halfheartedly, nodding before bowing her head. “Your majesty,” was the last thing she spoke before walking out of Kate’s life for who-knows-how-long. 

Later that day, Kate had met up with Layla, who told her the whole story; causing the rest of the week to be tense. Sam had been soulless for a time and when he had his soul back, he’d been hallucinating Lucifer who tortured him relentlessly. And it wasn’t until Death put up a blockade in his mind that Sam returned to a relatively normal state. The two barely talked during meal times and Kate avoided Layla whenever possible. When the two were required to be in the same room they barely acknowledged one another.

Days after that week, Layla was running down the halls, her short heels clicking on the floor with each step. “Kate!” she exclaimed as she busted through the queen’s office door. The woman sitting down jumped at the sound, eyes widening for a moment until she saw it was just Layla, “I have good news.” 

“Oh? And what’s that?” Kate’s tone was condescending as she spoke, returning to the paperwork she had been working on for the entire week. 

Layla sighed at her friend’s response. She knew her decision would hurt Kate, but she was hoping her friend would have forgiven her at least a little bit. “Sam and Dean are on their way to the castle.” 

Kate’s head instantly lifted, her eyes brighter than they had been for weeks. “What?” 

“You heard me.” 

“Then let's hurry!” excitement laced her voice as she pushed herself away from the desk and out of her chair, both women running down the halls, Layla keeping pace with Katy. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” 

“Dean hadn’t updated me until now, I would have told you if he did.” 

“Your Majesty? What’s happened?” Horas asked, rushing after the women as they ran by the room he was in.

“Nothing bad, Horas! Just important people are on their way!” she called, continuing her path down the stairs. A step or two was skipped for the sake of saving time.

Two men were guarding the doors on the inside, and two men guarding the doors outside, even from here the girls could hear commotion outside, “Your Majesty! You need an escort-” 

“Oh hush and open the doors!” 

Immediately , the guards opened the doors to reveal the two men outside keeping Sam and Dean away from the doors. 

“Let them be! They’re our partners,” Kate told the men who instantly went wide-eyed, bowing to the boys. 

Dean smirked at the sight of the guards bowing for him, humming in delight as he scratched his chin. “I could get used to this,” he mumbled lightly, and Layla laughed at the joke.

“Oh get your head out of the clouds, Winchester,” Layla chuckled, wrapping her arms around Dean’s neck and pulling him into a kiss, which he gladly returned. 

Kate’s eyes met Sam’s, and she couldn’t hold back the tears anymore as she ran into his arms, the tall moose wrapping her in a hug. “I thought I had lost you forever, Sam,” she cried into his chest, finally looking up at him. 

Sam smiled softly at the woman, wiping her tears away as she looked up at him. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m here now, though,” he whispered, leaning down and kissing her gently as he cupped her face in his hands, a feeling both of them had missed. When they pulled away, he kept his arms around her as he looked at the castle. “Quite a home you got here.” 

“It’s not just my home.” Kate smiled at Sam, glancing to her friends then back to him. “It’s our home.” 

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Sam smirked, reaching for something in his pockets as Kate looked at him in confusion. Sam then got on one knee, opening a little box with a ring in it. Kate chuckled, covering her face as she began to cry again, “So, Kate Morgan, will you marry me and allow me to be your king?” 

“Of course you big dork,” she answered, moving her hands away from her face as she spoke. Sam smiled and stood up, slipping the ring on her finger. Kate quickly pulled the man into a kiss, whispering: “I love you,” on his lips. 

Within the next year, Dean and Layla had gotten Bobby to move to Othos as well, and Chuck/God brought back Sam and Dean’s parents, who also moved to Othos. It’d taken them a long time to get used to everything around them, but both were happy at the life their sons led. Sam and Kate got married and so did Dean and Layla. Castiel often visited to understand human beings more, which everyone found humorous but respected him for the decision. He was the only angel trying to do so, after all. Chuck later on explained he made a small mistake with Castiel, which was incidentally why he never truly fit in, and it led to the eventual creation of mankind. Dean and Layla teased him relentlessly for being the first human. Oh, and Sam and Kate had a daughter. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took a little while! I couldn’t get Lumos to help me for the longest time XD who knew people need breaks from torture. Anyway! She has been recharged! Yay! XD hope y’all like the chapter! I know I sure did XD  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> I ain’t recharged, as anyone can see by… well how long it took me to figure out what to say. My brain is burnt out but what else is new? Anyway, hope you all enjoyed!  
> ~ Lumos2000


	7. Marvelous

“Nat, you need to kick higher if you’re ever going to decapitate a man,” Katy lectured the redhead assassin.

Clint was taking a break on the bench and chuckling at the women. During the past year in this fictional universe, Katy had begun to settle down in New York and work with SHIELD until Kate called her back. 

“You’re kidding, right?” Natasha was panting at this point. For a kid, she had some stamina, along with a higher rank than herself, for some strange reason. “Ya know, you’ve barely worked with Clint this whole day. I think we should switch for a little.” Natasha smirked at her friend on the bench who quickly lost his own smirk. 

Katy chuckled at the comment, glancing to Clint who seemed like he was trying to plan an escape. “Okay okay. Just one more kick try, then you’re done for the day,” Katy crossed her arms and took a step back, allowing the assassin the room she needed. 

Natasha took a breath, trying not to groan as she prepared herself. That would be like showing weakness, besides, it was her last try. One last kick was all she needed to do. When she did, she kicked the head of the dummy off and across the room, a smile on her face when she saw what she had done. “Holy shit, I didn’t know I could do that!” Natasha exclaimed as Clint’s jaw dropped.

“The perks even a little bit of super-soldier serum. See you tomorrow.” With the praise and dismissal, Natasha set off in high spirits. “Okay, Clint. It’s your tu-” when Katy turned, she barely glimpsed the figure of a man running out of the room. She sighed, seemingly teleporting in front of Clint with her arms crossed. “Hey Clinty.” 

The man staggered backwards, mumbling curse words and then smiling at Katy once he got his balance back again “I uh, was going to get a snack! Want anything?” 

“Sure you were.” Katy grinned and patted his back before leading him back into the training room, “It’s not that bad, Clint! You only have like-” She looked down to her watch, noticing the date before the time. She hesitated to finish her sentence, obviously she was thinking about something. “Actually, I gotta go. You’re done for the day,” Katy said before rushing out of the room, leaving Clint no time to ask questions. 

“Fury I-” 

“God  _ dammit _ Katy! How many times have I told you not to do your little teleporting thing directly into my office?” The man groaned, a hand on his chest as he calmed himself. He glared at the being in front of him.

Katy chuckled, slightly surprised she actually scared him. “I think this is the first time actually. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I’ll be gone for a few months. Page me if you need me earlier than my return date.” 

“Months? When will you be back?” 

Katy just smiled as she stood in the doorway, already halfway out. “When you need me.” Then she was gone and off to her apartment. A spring was in her step as she made her way home, it was almost time. Before she even reached the building, her expected phone call came, bringing a small smile to her face as she answered, “Your Majesty! Good to hear from you.” 

Kate grinned on the other end of the phone, having missed the woman’s personality over this past year, _ “Hi Katy. I wanted to call and apologize for what happened last ti-”  _

“No need for that, Kate. You were understandably upset.” 

_ “So you’re gonna come back?” _ She seemed excited and hopeful, mainly because she had a job for the “young” girl. But it was mostly because she was missing her friend, and over the time that had passed she’d forgiven Katy. It was at that moment Katy appeared in front of Kate who was working at her desk in the castle like she normally did.

Katy chuckled at the look on her friend’s face as she put her phone away, sighing with delight. “Of course. I’d never leave you for good. Oh! And congrats on the family.” 

“You knew about that?” Kate didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, a soft smile on her face, “Of course you did, you know everything that happens.” 

“Not everything to everyone, just my closest friends,” she winked, still standing in the room. Katy knew these friends in particular, Kate was her OC after all, and she  _ did _ write the timeline. Chuck interfering and throwing in the Winchester’s parents was a surprise though. And so was the reason Castiel was the way he was. “You gonna ask your question?” 

“Do I even have to?” 

“Nope! My answer is yes, surprise surprise,” Katy said giddily.

Kate shook her head as she stood, giving Katy a quick hug then they walked out. “To the base it is,  _ Sergeant Major _ ,” both girls grinned at the title, one Katy would have for a while. 

They got to the base and Kate made an announcement that Katy would be the new Sergeant Major of all the military forces, of course everyone listened. They all heard the story that Katy was the mastermind that freed them from their last ruler, and they all greatly respected her for doing so. The next few months consisted of Katy laying out rules approved by Kate, starting a few classified projects, and brutal training for everyone. Katy also got a new house close to the castle and close to the base. Somehow she was made a board member for Kate’s government, but no one objected to the motion. 

“Sergeant Major?” Joe, Katy’s second in command spoke softly to the women as he stood at attention in front of her desk. He had gotten updates on a couple of Katy’s projects, and knew she’d want to see for herself. “Sergeant Major!” he raised his voice to get her attention, the women jumping out of her train of thought and looking wide-eyed at her friend. 

“Sorry! I was thinking about something important,” she chuckled awkwardly, a light blush appearing on her face as she stood from her desk. “What is it?” 

“Obviously,” he mumbled, a small smile on his face as he shook his head. “According to the officers working on the project, the first egg should be hatching soon,” 

Katy’s eyes lit up, her smile showing how excited she was. To be professional, she cleared her throat, calmed her facial features, and straightened out the white coat of her uniform, “Fantastic. Let’s go see.” The women quickly left her office, Joe hot on her heels. The blue cape over her shoulder flew gently behind her as she walked and her boots thudded with each step, drawing attention to the pair as they walked down the halls.

“Did they say which breed was hatching first?” 

“No Ma’am, they did not.” 

“We’ll find out soon enough, then,” she sighed softly as they walked up to the lab, the two guards standing at attention and saluting to Katy before opening the doors before she had a chance to ask. 

“Sergeant Major! Good to see you,” the head scientist smiled brightly at the girl, Katy responding the same smile. 

“You too, Christine. Which egg was I informed about?” 

The women’s eyes brightened, quickly leading her Sergeant Major to the incubator, if that’s what you’d call it. Off topic, that was exactly what the machine was called. “This one, ma’am.” 

“Fantastic!” Katy clapped her hands together, biting her lip to hold back a smile. “Would you mind stepping out for a moment?” Katy looked behind her shoulder, all the workers patiently waiting for the first egg to hatch, “Like, now?” 

“Of course,” Joe and Christine spoke in unison, the man glaring for a moment before ushering everyone out. 

Katy sighed softly, taking off her gloves as the egg began to crack. “I can’t believe it worked,” she whispered to herself, the small smile appearing back on her face as black scales began to show. “Hey, little guy.” 

Her smile widened as the baby dragon slowly broke out of the egg. She held her hands out, letting it sniff them for a moment, the dragon blowing flames onto one of her hands as she sucked in a breath as she pulled her hand away, shaking away the pain as it healed, leaving a mark on her palm. Katy grinned a little more, patting the Dragon on its head. It crooned at the soothing motion and Katy lowered her stature to look it in the eye.

“Good Night Fury,” she chuckled softly as the dragon leapt onto her shoulder, rubbing on her head and making a cute little noise. “How about I name you Hestia?” she suggested, waiting for an answer from the young dragon, not even noticing the door slowly open and heads peek through. Katy chuckled patting the little dragon’s head again, “Don’t worry, we’ll talk soon.” 

“They talk?” Christine exclaimed as she pushed the door all the way open, scaring the baby with her excitement. “That is so amazing! How can they do that? Can I study them?”

Katy gently shushed the dragon, moving her so she was on her forearm. “Christine, you scared her,” she scolded, cradling the dragon.

“The Night Fury is a she? I thought they all used to be males and the Light Furies are female?” Christine questioned, admiring the dragon as she spoke. 

“Nope, that was just because the two I told you about were the last of their kind. In all technicalities, I think the two were of different species that could interact whenever. I think there were males and females for both Light and Night Fury’s. How else could they just be one solid color? But that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is we succeeded!” Katy patted the woman on her shoulder. “Why don’t y’all take the rest of the day off. Especially you, my little Hange,” Katy grinned, walking out of the lab with the dragon back on her shoulder, and Joe by her side. 

“Sergeant Major, I’ve told you before that I don’t know who that is!” Christine called, sighing when she didn’t receive an answer. “Well, you heard the lady. Let’s go party! Drinks are on me!” she cheered, all of her subordinates following her out of the lab. 

Further down the hall Katy slowly ran her hand down the baby dragon’s back. It purred in contentment. “What was the other project, Joe?” Katy asked, her mind straying from project to project. 

Joe looked at her in confusement, they had a good many that they worked on. So he took a guess. “The um… portal? They needed to confirm the order of a couple of parts for it,” the man explained as the walked, eyeing the dragon the whole time. Katy nodded in response. “Other than that the building has gone well and the parts should be in later today.”

A bit more walking later, they reached the other lab, which was mainly outdoors in case the portal did something weird. Like shorting out, exploding or sucking up a bunch of shit like a black hole to who knows where. All three were highly unlikely options, but still possible. They came upon one of their youngest recruits, a young man by the name of Kyoya Ootori. He was in Othos under a foreign exchange program for college students. Katy and Joe knew he came from a wealthy family of doctors who were well-known in Japan and other countries.

Kyoya was studying business in Othos when he obtained an eye for science and what the researchers of the ruling family were doing. Katy found him doing projects here and there quietly until they allowed the man to become an intern of sorts. Those quiet projects turned into huge things when Katy suggested the idea of cloning dragons and portals to other worlds.

At the moment, Kyoya was staring at the surrounding men while cataloguing something in that book he always kept around. Even being some sort of astral being Katy found it hard to even get close enough to the book to read it. Joe and Katy stepped further into the lab which gained his attention.

“Kyoya,” Katy grinned in greeting. Normally she would wave but her arms were full of dragon. “How goes the portal?”

“As well as can be expected, I suppose,” Kyoya answered, adjusting his glasses. He wrote a few lines in the notebook and closed it. “It should be finished by October, but that’s still eight months away. After that we’ll be ready for testing.”

Kyoya glanced down at the black bundle in Katy’s arms and stared as the thing blinked at him. He looked to Katy and Joe for an explanation. Katy laughed and held out Hestia like one does a kitten when reenacting the beginning of Lion King.

“This is Hestia, our newest dragon,” she proclaimed proudly.

Kyoya nodded in understanding. Truthfully, he never thought the project would work considering that there were about half a dozen movies saying why it shouldn’t. Nevermind the fact that there were no samples of dragon blood to have ever been discovered.

“Ah, so project Hatchling worked then.”

Joe nodded and the two watched as Katy stroked the dragons scales. “Yeah,” he said. “I don’t know how but yeah. The thing-”

“Hestia.”

“- Hestia,” Joe corrected himself, “has only been out of the shell for a few hours.”

Concern flashed across Kyoya’s face. “Shouldn’t Christina watch over her until we know she can survive being out of the incubator?”

Katy scoffed, nuzzling her newest friend. “Hange can deal with it. Hestia will live, I know she will.”

“Sergeant Major? Please focus on the task at hand. You have a board meeting in a couple hours.” Joe leaned in, hopefully getting Katy’s attention. It was a usual thing for her to keep getting distracted, which was kind of surprising for someone who’s supposed to be all powerful and scary. 

“Oh! Yes, you’re right. My apologies,” she smiled up at the man, moving the dragon to her shoulder so she could do her work. “Alright, Kyoya. What did you need my help with on the portal?” 

“Yes, I apologize for the distraction.” Kyoya bowed his head slightly before walking to his makeshift desk and picking up a list then handing it back to Katy. His voice changed from the polite tone they knew and to an annoyed one. “Please tell me ma’am, where the hell am I supposed to find these pieces?” 

Katy chuckled at the boy’s language, “Ooh, someone’s feisty.” 

“Katy!” Joe scolded, slightly flicking her head. 

Katy groaned at the feeling, sticking her tongue out at her subordinate. Katy could practically see the nonexistent anime sweatdrop from both men, making her laugh again at the irony. “Okay okay, serious again.” Taking a pen out of Kyoya’s lab coat pocket, she wrote an address on the back of the paper, “Here. This place will have the pieces you need.” 

“ _ England? _ Just for the pieces? And what’s up with the three quarters?” Kyoya stared at Katy skeptically and Joe shared the sentiment when he saw what was needed. How on Earth was England of all places supposed to have pieces like  _ that _ ?

“Don’t worry about it. Two brothers, the Weasleys, will be waiting to take you where you need to go. I’ve worked with them on many occasions, their work is top-notch.” Katy winked as she placed the pen back in his coat before turning around and walking out, shouting over her shoulder and waving as she left, “Have fun, Kyoya!”

Kyoya couldn’t get a word out before she was gone and he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Superior or not, she was too sporadic for his liking. Luckily he had practice with people like her due to his time spent with Tamaki and the rest of the Host Club at Ouran. Joe followed Katy out of the lab with an apologetic glance at Kyoya who waved him off with no more than… well a wave. Unfortunately, Katy was always blunt and in a rush. Rumor had it, Katy couldn’t focus on one thing at a time for long which was why she was always everywhere.

“Where to now, Ma’am?” 

“You said I have a board meeting?” At his nod Katy continued, “You’re in charge until I get back.” 

“Want me to take the dragon?” 

Katy scoffed, placing a hand on her chest in mock offense at the idea of being separated from her new friend. “Of course not. She’ll be coming with me!” She cooed the dragon, scratching its chin as she walked out to the car waiting for her, “Bye Joe, see ya later.” Shutting the car door behind her Katy sank into the seat with a sigh. 

“Long day, miss?” the driver asked, looking into the rear view mirror. He started up the car and the two, three if you included Hestia the dragon, were headed to the castle.

“Not yet,” she responded, popping her back before snapping her fingers, her outfit changing to a more professional and ladylike look. 

The style bothered her, as she was used to her military uniform. The uniform itself was white and blue, traditional colors for Othos. Her pants, shirt, and military jacket were white, while the blue came from the cape that hung off of her left shoulder and reached just inches above the ground. As the Sergeant Major, she was required to wear the uniform and while it didn’t bother her too much, she only ever wore it because she loved the cape. Which Katy would never admit aloud.

The car pulled up to the castle and a guard opened the car door for Katy, “Welcome back, M’Lady.” He bowed his head in respect as Katy stepped out of the car, her tall heels clicking as they made contact with the stone. 

“Hello Gavin, good to see you too. How’s the new addition?” Her smile lit up her face and the small breeze blew her curled hair a little as she and the guard walked towards the castle. 

The man, Gavin, blushed softly at her question, making him feel a bit more important and noticed. “She’s fantastic, M’lady! Has my mother’s eyes,” he cooed as the other guards opened the front door for her. He couldn’t help the swell of pride he felt at the thought of his newborn daughter.

Katy hummed with delight at the man’s response. He was calmer and collected, but he reminded her of a certain Lieutenant Colonel that she held dear. “That’s fantastic, Gavin. Say hello to your wife for me.” She waved again as she walked inside, the doors closing behind her. The dragon was practically glued to her shoulder, causing whispers and stares around the room. 

The castle was almost silent as she walked up the stairs. The only sound was of shoes hitting the ground from different places, once pair were her heels, the pace quickening as she hurried to the meeting room. 

Once she got to the room, Kate immediately turned around, a smile on her face as her friend came through the door, then she noticed the baby dragon. “Um, Katy? I think you have a stalker,” Kate chuckled awkwardly, keeping her distance from the woman and her dragon since she had her baby daughter in her arms.

Katy huffed at the comment, glancing over at the dragon. “Sorry, she just hatched today and kind of chose me, so I didn’t want to make her leave,” the girl explained as she walked to her seat. “Shall we begin?” 

“Yes! Of course,” Kate snapped out of her protective glare at the pair, handing the baby over to Sam’s mom and then went to sit down herself. The dragon was distracting most of the time, but everyone got used to her at the tail end. The meeting was mainly just an update on what things have been going on, Katy informing the group on her projects’ updates, and letting them know that she would be leaving again after the meeting, causing a small stir that Kate had to calm down. 

“What are you going to do with Hestia while you’re gone?” Kate questioned as she, Layla, and Katy walked out of the meeting room. 

Katy smirked and wiggled her eyebrows towards Layla who narrowed her own before understanding what she meant. She blanched and immediately began shaking her head. “No! I’m not taking her!” 

The girl now groaned, hugging the little dragon who let out a small puff of smoke when she was squeezed, causing the other two girls to step back. “Come on, Layla! You can show her how to hunt while I’m gone. I promise she won’t be much trouble.” 

Layla sighed, looking between the two women and the small dragon, thinking on the request for a couple of minutes. Finally, she groaned and gave in to the look that Hestia was giving her. Honestly she had no idea how to teach a  _ dragon _ to hunt. It’s not like there was a guide book, and she doubted vampire tactics would work well with the creature. “Fine! I’ll watch her for you, but you owe me big time for this!” 

Katy giggled, almost wickedly as she handed the baby to her friend. “Thank you! I’ll see you guys soon, I promise.” 

The second Katy was gone Layla stared at the spot where she had disappeared. A feeling of annoyance slowly filled her, but she pushed it away. Katy was always like this, and besides, Layla mused, she had a dragon to influence now. Her mind filled with all the different ways to teach a dragon how to flip a person off, if it was possible anyway.

Oblivious to Layla’s not-very-traitorous plans, Katy was slipping between time and space to get to her next destination. The place she arrived was very familiar and she grinned at the feeling of the hum coming from the turbines holding the helicarrier up. As she walked through the hallway paying no mind to the surrounding security, Katy’s suit slowly morphed into what the untrained eye would call Asgardian-esque armor. A tan corset revealed itself and turned black when it reached the area above her breasts. There were shoulder guards in place but her forearms were left bare, and yet Katy still wore black gloves with silver trim. From the corset going down there were black tights which led to knee-high black boots. To complete her ensemble Katy wore a short cape over her left shoulder bathed in a deep, navy blue with silver seams. Her hair was now sat in a fishtail braid, swinging with each step she took down the corridor. 

Then she walked into a room with many people walking and talking around. Her focus wasn’t on the agents, rather on the special people seated around a table. Natasha glanced at her trainer before looking back to her superior. None of the others noticed her entrance.

“Sorry I was gone for so long,” Katy announced herself, smiling at the group.

Steve quickly turned his attention to the girl who just walked in the room, instantly mesmerized with her. Her stance was strong and confident, which confused and intrigued him simultaneously. Aside from her manners, he couldn’t deny that she was beautiful. And while he knew she looked to be in her young twenties, just like him, Steve couldn’t shake the feeling that the woman was much older than what she seemed. Which was also like him.

Thor, who was seated next to Steve, sensed that there was something ethereal about her which set him on edge. The woman was not what she appeared to be, and he had not seen anything like her in all his travels. However, Thor knew the importance of not judging too quickly. That did not mean that he wouldn’t be cautious around the woman, but he also wouldn’t accuse her of being an enemy just from how little he knew her.

Tony, while he thought the woman was attractive, he could clearly see how young she looked. Even he had a no-fly zone when it came to women. Aside from that, her attire and sudden appearance surprised him, especially since JARVIS told him that she had pretty much appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the ship. Intriguing as it was, Tony told the AI to keep an eye on the cameras like he had been doing only moments ago.

“It’s about damn time! Do you even know what’s going on right now?” Fury scolded, tossing his hands in the air as he spoke, crossing them shortly after. 

She shrugged as a response to his first question, walking towards the table and sitting on the edge. “Yes, I do. You have Thor’s brother in the glass cage, am I wrong?” 

The Avengers sitting at the table all looked to one another then to Fury in hopes of an answer as to how she knew this. And moreover, who the mysterious woman was.

Fury glared at the women. Normally he would find her amusing, but right now she was just damn annoying. “Katy, I swear-” 

In a flash she stood from the table, her eyes changing to blood red as she approached the man. Natasha straightened in her chair, her hand rested on the gun at her waist ready to defend her leader. “What, Fury?” Katy snarled. “You think I am only here to  _ serve  _ you and your men? I do have a life that I’m trying to get settled,” she growled, leaning in towards the man in front of her who backed away ever so slightly, his eye staring warily at the woman.

The whole room was silent, staring at the seemingly crazy female as she faced down their “leader”. The Avengers even stood, just in case they were needed to stop a fight or alike. 

Fury sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. As she looked to his hands, her eyes changed back to the Caribbean green, her gaze going back to Fury as he spoke. “I’m only going to say this once,” he whispered, “I’m sorry. Now please step back.” 

Katy grinned a bit, pleased with the man’s response. “Yes sir,” she winked, stepping back to the meeting table and looking at the standing heroes. “You can sit back down now. I’m not going to be doing anything.” 

“Are you seriously saying that it’s not  _ you _ we should be worried about?” Tony raised an eyebrow as the women spoke. “Who are you anyway?” 

“Oh! How rude of me!” Katy stood, walking up to the famous man and holding out her hand for him to shake, their heights matched. “My name is Katy, it’s nice to meet you Tony,” her smile lit up the room.

After the women and a couple others left to go to Loki’s cell - Tony went to the lab to visit Bruce, one of the SHIELD agents had looked up something on his computer and just about fell out of the chair. “My god,” the man mumbled, stumbling from the seat and rushing to Fury. Steve and Thor seemed intrigued by the conversation and listened in. “Sir! Sir you need to see this,” the man seemed frantic. Fury narrowed his eyebrows for a moment as he looked the young man up and down before signaling him to continue. “Well to start off, I studied mythology as my undergrad, and my focuses were on Norse and Greek mythology.” 

“What does this have to do with what I need to see?” 

“Well, I recognized the girl that was just in here. You really need to see this,” he then rushed back to his desk, making sure the page was still pulled up. Fury, Steve, and Thor followed. “I recognized her because I had studied her in school. This is the statue from ancient Greece I studied.” 

The statue itself was in the middle of a park in what anyone could assume was somewhere in Greece. There were children gathered around for the picture but that didn’t interest anyone in the least. Upon a pedestal stood a woman with long hair, a flowery crown resting on her head that brushed back strands that would’ve most certainly gotten in the way of her vision. The woman wore an outfit similar to the one Katy was wearing, save for the cloak. While Katy’s was thrown over her shoulder and short, the one the statue wore was more like a cloak that reached the ground behind her. In the folds of the cloak one could see swirls and pictures of animals and planets and stars and mythical creatures. One of her gloved hands was pointed toward the sky while the other was down by her side holding onto the hand of a small child, a look of wonder was permanently resting on his face as he looked up at whatever the woman was pointing at. 

“That looks almost exactly like her,” Steve mumbled, eyeing the statue. “What’s the name of the woman?” Steve asked, looking to the agent then back at the statue. He figured Katy was old, but not this old. It was impossible, she couldn’t possibly be that old. It was a coincidence.

“Iro, the Goddess of Imagination,” the agent said.

While Steve slowly started to believe that the two were one and the same, Fury and Thor had no doubts. The womans face solidified it in their minds that the person the statue was modeled after and Katy were indeed the same person. Every detail was the same, right down to the kindness in her eyes as she looked down at the small boy who was attached to her. Thor knew very well that a person could live so long, it was a normal age range for many of the races he knew. Fury, while the appearance of a Greek goddess was new, he would treat her like he had been doing already. With caution and no hostility, almost like they did with Thor. His brothers actions aside.

“Yeah. That’s her,” Fury commented once he heard the name. Somehow it fit Katy just fine. “Don’t share this with anyone except for Coulson, Hill, and the rest of the Avengers. Understood?” 

“Yes sir,” Steve and the agent said in unison. Thor gave a nod of agreement. 

“Have you talked to him yet?” Katy looked to Nat as they walked down the long corridor, her cape flowing slightly. 

“No Ma’am. I was going to now, actually.” 

“Good. I’ll talk to him after you,” Katy pat her friends shoulder just before they walked in the room. As the doors closed behind them, it drew the attention of their godly friend. 

“Well well, if it isn’t the assassin,” he turned around with a smirk on his face that quickly faded when he saw Katy’s blank face. “Isn’t this a surprise. How would an assassin like you know her?” 

Natasha narrowed her eyebrows for a moment, glancing between Katy who had her arms crossed and a smirk on her face as she set the other god on edge, and back to the Asgardian in a cage. “She’s my trainer? Does that matter?” 

“That woman you call your trainer is more than you think she is. She’s a Goddess,” Loki smirked back to the assassin, then glanced to Katy. Just revealing her identity should create a rift between the two he could exploit.

“Aw, thank you! I think it’s probably the skin and hair. I’ve always tried to make them look nice,” Katy teased, causing the god to blush in embarrassment and anger. 

“I’m not complimenting your complexion, strange woman!” Loki snapped, looking away from the two to regain his composure. Not even a minute in and he was already getting a headache. “Iro, if you’d be so kind as to leave so I can talk to the assassin in peace, that would please me.” He plastered his usual smirk back onto his face as he spoke, only to frown as Katy disappeared from his sight the moment he locked eyes on her.

“Now why would I do that? I’m here to help. Them, not you, in case there’s any confusion.” Her voice echoed around the chamber from an unidentifiable source. Then she appeared out of the shadows that melded into her shadow. She was lent against the glass as she spoke, Loki had yet to realize she was behind him. “So I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon unless I need to,” Katy matched the man’s facial expression, even the false kindness hiding the death glare in their eyes.

Loki whirled around and scowled at the woman who taunted him beyond the safety of the glass. Normally he would taunt her about not confronting him without the barrier between them, but something told him that the woman would take him up on the challenge and get in and get out with no problems. Before he could process his thoughts Katy appeared on the other side the glass, on his side, and stared at the God of Mischief. Once more she leant against the glass, ignoring the way Natasha almost seemed alarmed.

“How did you get in here?” Loki sounded surprised as he spoke. His eyes were wide as he took a step away from the girl. 

She shrugged, walking towards Loki. With each step forward, Loki took a step back and away from her. “What’s the matter, Loki? Scared of a girl?” Katy’s smirk grew slightly as they walked around in the glass cage, her eyes changing to violet. Loki could only assume that the changing of eye color meant different moods, much like a Midgardian mood ring.

“I wouldn’t say scared,” Loki said. Katy kept trying to get near him but all he did was walk away. The two looked much like circling lions.

“What would you say then?”

“Cautious,” he said immediately, as if it were the only plausible answer. “I don’t know you, I don’t know your power, and you can come and go from this cage easily unlike me. I’d say it is wise to keep my distance.”

She hummed with delight, keeping her pace. Loki was smart then, it would keep him alive. Steve and Thor were the next two to walk in the room, neither party within the cage noticed. “Is that so? Well, you’re smart after all.”  

The two paused in shock and Steve turned to Natasha, Thor didn’t take his eyes off Loki and Katy. “Natasha? What is Katy doing in the cage?” Steve asked, worried for the girl’s safety even after he had just learned she was an ancient Greek Goddess.

“Are you worried about her, Captain United States?” Loki questioned before Natasha could answer, tilting his head slightly. “It isn’t  _ her _ you should be worried about. She’s not the only monster you’ve brought.” He chuckled under his breath.

Katy quickly turned her head to face her student. “Natasha, go get Bruce.”

“Got it,” Natasha had already caught on too, rushing off to the lab to find Bruce. She talked into her comm device and asked for someone to send Thor to the lab.

“You shouldn’t take your eyes off of me, child,” Loki growled, charging to tackle the women but she was already out of the cage, Steve holding onto her. The god groaned as he hit the ground, throwing his head up to look at the pair on the other side of the glass.

“Sorry about that, Steve,” Katy grinned up at the man who had caught her when she tripped backwards on the stair. 

“Don’t worry about it.” He steadied her and let go of her arm before giving a quick glance at Loki.

Suddenly Loki’s words registered in her mind. She scowled, “Who are you calling child? I’m older than you, Loki.” Katy spat the words out of her mouth like they were poison. Then she stuck her tongue out at the god as she stood back on her own two feet. “Come on, Steve. We gotta go.” She quickly took his hand and drug him out of the room and towards the lab, worried she might have messed up the timeline even more than she already had. 

The two quickly made their way from the room, Katy teleporting them the moment the door closed. She didn’t see the satisfied look on Loki’s face as they left. Tony and Bruce were standing and looking at monitors. Katy went to open her mouth but Fury walked in and cut her off.

“What are you doing, Mr. Stark?” Nick asked. Hill had sent him here when they learned about their security breach. And while that wasn’t unusual for Tony to break in to their files, he hated when he did it. And now all Fury could see was the two scientists he assigned to a job, not doing their job.

“Uh...kind of been wondering the same thing about you,” Tony said, taking note of the other two occupants of the room.

“You’re supposed to be locating the Tesseract.”

“We are,” Bruce interjected. “The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile.”

Tony nodded. “And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss.” Katy watched as the monitor in front of Tony’s cleared itself of all running programs, another one popping up. ‘ _ Phase 2 Classified _ ’ it read. Tony tilted his head. “What is Phase 2?”

Katy scowled. Steve hadn’t been able to go searching for anything related to the tesseract because he had been too focused on her. So she held her head high and prepared herself to stare down any in the room who would dare oppose her. “Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons.” She turned and stared at Nick unapologetically. “Sorry Nick, but I’ve seen the plans and the prototypes.”

Steve glared at Fury. “Is this true?”

“Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're-”

“I'm sorry, Nick,” Tony said loudly, cutting off Fury. Tony turned the monitor screen toward Fury, Katy, and Steve, which showed blueprints of the weapons. “What were you lying?”

Steve scoffed and shook his head. “I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit.”

At that moment, Thor and Natasha walked into the lab. Natasha kept her eyes on Banner but she did notice her trainer and Steve had gotten there before her. Banner turned to her, and boy did he not look happy.

“Did you know about this?” he demanded.

Natasha ignored the question. “You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?”

“I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed.”

“Loki's manipulating you.”

“And you've been doing what exactly?”

“You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.”

“Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.”

The room quieted as they all turned to Fury for answers. Fury sighed and pointed at Thor. “It’s because of him.”

Thor was stunned. He pointed at himself in confusion. “Me?” he asked, wanting clarification.

“Last year earth had a visitor from another world who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned.”

Katy rolled her eyes at Fury’s reason for creating such terrible weapons. She couldn’t exactly fault him for wanting to protect the human race, she just hated the way he went about it.

“My people want nothing but peace with your planet,” Thor said.

“But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled.”

Katy laughed harshly and glared at the leader of SHIELD, gaining attention. “You can’t try to control every race you come across Nick. Like you people are doing  _ so _ well with mutants already,” she snarked. “You shouldn’t mess with things you don’t understand.”

“You're work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies,” Thor agreed. “It is the signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war.”

“A higher form?” Steve questioned.

“You forced our hand. We had to come up with something.”

“A nuclear deterrent. ‘Cause that always calms everything right down.”

“Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?”

Katy rubbed her forehead as a migraine worked its way around her brain. She glared heatedly at the scepter and her migraine increased as if it sensed her glare. The force increased and Katy shut her eyes tight, trying to focus on the surrounding conversation. It had dropped off the soundbar and the more she focused the better she could hear, but the migraine only got worse. She opened her eyes and blinked blearily at the team.

“You know damn well why! Back off!” Steve said, pushing Tony’s arm off his shoulder like it offended him.

“Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me,” Tony challenged.

Never one to back away from a challenge, Steve slowly circled Tony. “Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?”

“Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist,” he answered without hesitation. Natasha nodded as if he had a point.

“I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.”

“I think I would just cut the wire.”

Steve smiled and glanced at Bruce who was watching them warily. As were the rest of the occupants of the room. His eyes briefly glazed over Katy in concern but he looked back at Tony. “Always a way out... You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.”

“A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!”

“Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds,” Steve growled.

Katy went to say something but another wave of pain came over her and she was silenced by her migraine. 

Thor laughed at the squabble Steve and Tony were in. “You people are so petty... and tiny.”

Bruce gave a small laugh, “Yeah, this is a team.”

“Agent Romanoff,” Fury said. “Would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-”

“Where?” Bruce asked. “You rented my room.”

“The cell was just in case-”

“In case you needed to kill me, but you can't! I know! I tried!”

If the room wasn’t quiet before, it was then. Every occupant of the room stared at Bruce, some in shock, others in horror.

“Bruce,” Katy squeaked. It went unnoticed.

“I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!” Bruce slowly began to get upset as he went on with his story. Then he looked at Natasha, who almost looked unnerved under his gaze. “You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?”

“Doctor Banner... put down the scepter,” Steve said, noticing how Fury and Natasha slowly unbuckled their guns.

Bruce and Katy both notice how Bruce held the scepter. Shock seeped into her bones as she realized she had missed it. A monitor beeping broke some of the tension in the room and Bruce set down the scepter. He walked across the room to the montor.

“Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my little party trick after all,” he mumbled.

“You’ve located the Tesseract?” Thor asked.

“I can get there faster,” Tony said, not even glancing at the monitor.

Katy shook her head and spoke up before Thor. “The Tesseract belongs on Asgard.”

Thor nodded his head in thanks of her support. “No human is a match for it.”

Tony turned to leave, but Steve stopped him by grabbing his arm. “You're not going alone.”

Tony immediately slapped his hand away. “You gonna stop me?” 

“Put on the suit, let's find out.”

“I'm not afraid to hit an old man.”

“Put on the suit,” Steve glared.

Steve and Tony stared one another down and Bruce, who had been looking over the monitor, looked up at Tony in horror. The location…

“Oh my god,” Bruce said.

A bomb goes off and everyone is thrown in every direction. Steve, Fury, Thor, Katy, and Tony are thrown into walls while Natasha and Bruce were tossed down into the lower equipment room. Katy felt her breath leave her lungs as she was slammed into a wall behind a counter. She went to stand up but a piece of debris collided with her head, forcing her into unconsciousness. 

 


	8. Marvelous Part 2

The captain groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, looking around him at all the damage in alarm. He and Tony shared a look. “Put on the suit.”

“Yeah,” Tony agreed, bolting out of the room. Steve was hot on his heels.

Alarms blared and agents grabbed guns in case they came in contact with the intruders. Some agents grabbed fire extinguishers and put out the fires that had erupted from computers or stray wiring hanging from the ceiling. Inside the lab, Fury sat up with a slouch, he may or may not have a bruised or broken rib.

“Hill?” Fury asked, tapping his comm.

There was no reply other than what Hill was doing on the bridge.  _“Turn up that engine! Number three engine is down! Can we get a run in?”_  She jogged over to the Galaga player.  _“Talk to me.”_

 _“Turbine’s loose. It’s mostly intact,”_  the man pointed to the monitor which showed the damage and debris,  _“but it’s impossible to get out there and make repairs while we’re in the air.”_

_“We lose one more engine and we won’t be. Somebody’s gotta get in there and patch that engine.”_

“Stark, you copy that?” Fury asked.

“ _I’m on it,_ ” came the quick reply.

“Coulson! Initiate official lockdown in the detention section then get to the armory!” Fury began to make his way out of the lab. “Romanoff?”

_“I’m here. Bruce and I are okay.”_

“Hart?” There was nothing but silence from Katy’s end. “Hart, do you copy?”

Fury cursed and started looking around the room. Debris and smoke clouded his vision so he couldn’t see too well, but thankfully the light shining in provided some clearance in the dark. He hurried around the lab, not finding a hint of Katy anywhere until he happened to glimpse a pair of legs sticking out behind a counter, part of the ceiling covering the rest of her body. Fury rushed over and removed the debris, noticing how her arm was bent at an awkward angle and a large gash made its way across her forehead.

“I need a medical team in lab number two,” Fury ordered. “Hart is down.”

When Katy woke up she had a raging headache and the bright lights weren’t making it any better. She did her best to sit up and when Katy could clearly see, she noticed that she seemed to be in a medical bay. A nurse came rushing forward, startling Katy, and began asking questions while flashing a light in her eyes.

“Can you tell me your name? When were you born? Can you see clearly or is anything fuzzy?”

“What?” Katy mumbled.

“You may have a concussion, please answer the questions.”

“I have many names, I was born, I think, over five thousand years ago. I can see just fine, thank you.” Katy stood from the bed with a small groan, picking up her shoes from under the bed and putting them back on. She glanced around and grabbed the small comm device from a nearby table and put it in her ear. The nurse sputtered and tried to get her back into bed but it was useless. “Have they left yet? Captain America, Iron Man, and the others?”

The nurse nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Have a nice day!” she smiled, opening the window - that really shouldn’t have been able to be opened - and jumping out. She could barely hear the nurses scream of horror before the sound of rushing wind drowned out any other sounds.

Katy focused on the one place in New York she would be needed; Stark Tower.

“Seems you’re making a habit of this, Loki,” Katy gently placed her feet on the circular platform made for Tony.

The God of Mischief glared at her as he distanced himself on the platform outside. He’d only just sent Stark careening out the window only to have the man shoot at him with a blast from his suit. And then to make matters worse, that woman was becoming troublesome by making her presence known. “What business does the Goddess Iro have with these mortals?”

Katy’s eyes darkened to red and she teleported behind Loki. Quicker than the Flash she had her sword blade to his neck and her other arm holding his behind his back. “Don’t talk about my people like that Loki,” she growled, as the man’s eyes widened slightly with surprise. He had no idea she could move that fast. The position she held him in made him feel strange, but he didn’t know if it was irritation, or something else. “And the name is Katy. Only the greek gods, and those who worship me are allowed to call me Iro.”

Loki narrowed his eyes and threw his head back, hitting Katy in the head and nicking his neck on the blade. The women stumbled back, placing a hand over her throbbing forehead. “Loki, you won’t win. Might as well give up now,” Katy finally got her bearings, but by the time she did, Loki was already prepared for a fight.

The god lunged forward, his scepter and Katy’s sword clashing as she defended herself, “Stark said the same. I shall tell you this but once, you mewling quim-” Loki thrusted his scepter in a motion that left Katy wide open, the man taking the opportunity to throw her through the glass and into the building. “I shall not surrender to the likes of you. This world belongs to me,” he leapt to the room, swinging his scepter down at Katy but she quickly blocked.

“Bad answer,” she groaned as she kicked the man away, hopping back to her feet and sliding into a fighting position. Katy was holding her own, but the one time she moved just a little too slow gave Loki the chance to cut her. The woman screamed as she stepped back and covered her bleeding face, blood trickling down her hand from her right eye. “You’re going to regret that,  _bastard_.”

That seemed to strike a nerve.

Loki’s eyes darkened as he growled, charging towards her. Without hesitation - or removing her hand from her eye - Katy dropped her sword, grabbed the man and flipped him onto his back, cracking and leaving a small indent on the floor. She finally removed her hand from her face and the wound was healed, but a scar was left behind. The vision from her right eye was no longer obscured, and she wiped the smeared blood from her face.

“If you can heal your own wounds, why leave any trace of it once being there?” Loki narrowed his eyes in confusion as he studied her features, unaware of this additional power of hers.

It was Katy’s turn to look confused. “What do you mean? There’s no trace.”

“A scar, you imbecile. You left it, why?”

Katy’s confusion turned to shock and she picked up her sword to look at her reflection. Low-and-behold, there was a scar. She felt her face and felt the slight roughness the cut left behind. Loki had just given her the first scar she couldn’t cover. Something was up, she felt it in her bones.

While the girl was lost in thought and shock, Loki took the opportunity to grab his scepter and blast her out of the tower; the girl shouting as she plummeted towards the concrete below her.

“Katy!” Steve shouted as he saw her get blown out of the tower. The man quickly leaped from car to car, catching her in the nick of time, the two groaning in pain as they hit the concrete. “You okay?” the man was out of breath as he held her to his chest, an arm still wrapped around her waist. Surprise flitted through him as he took in her face. He was sure she didn’t have a scar earlier that day, or did he not notice?

Katy nodded, giving the star-spangled man a small smile, “I’m fine, thank you.” It finally clicked that he had caught her mid-fall and her eyes filled with worry as she pushed herself away from him. “Steve are you okay? How do you feel? I can heal you if I need to,” she spoke quickly as she observed him, checking him over for wounds.

Steve couldn’t help but grin at her alarm over his well being, even with a battle brewing a couple blocks away. Pulling both of them to their feet, he shook his head at her questions, “I’m alright, but we need to continue with the fighting. We need to figure out a way to close that portal.” He pointed up at the giant rip in space. “Are you up for it?”

Katy’s eyes turned to purple as a grin crept onto her face and she cracked her knuckles, her sword returning to its proper place on her hip from where it had landed far away. “Lucky for you, I’m working on my own portal. Leave it to the girls, Cap. We’ll have it done in no time,” she winked playfully at the man.

Katy turned to leave but Steve caught her arm. “Be careful.”

She smiled and leaned up on her tippy toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I will.”

What they didn’t know was that the God of Mischief was watching above. He hadn’t remembered the Captain, or Iro, being involved with someone, at the very least one another. As far as he could remember, they’d only just met. Clint hadn’t mentioned anything when Loki had him under his mind control. Of course, Loki hadn’t asked about personal relations.

“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll have that drink now,” Loki’s eyes wandered on all of the Avengers prepared to fight him, Hawkeye in the middle with an arrow pointed at him, and Katy towards the back with her arms crossed and the new scar drawing attention to her face.

Once everything was settled, SHIELD agents came to get the scepter leaving in the elevator. Katy didn’t seem interested in the whole situation, having taken to standing in the corner with a brooding facade. After thousands of years of fighting, why had  _Loki_  of all people been the first one to leave a mark on her skin?

“On my way down to coordinate search and rescue.” The sound of Steve’s voice snapped Katy out of her thoughts as she watched a very American ass walk out of the room for a moment, passing right by Loki.

“ _‘On my way down to coordinate search and rescue,’_ ” Loki mocked as he cast an illusion on himself to look like Steve.

Immediately, Katy burst out laughing at the action. Even while being a smartass about it, Loki actually did a decent job at playing Steve. As soon as Loki changed back to himself, Thor put a gag on him so he couldn’t say much else. Loki threw an annoyed look at Thor for having ruined his fun.

“Aw come on, Thor! That’s the funniest thing I’ve seen all day!” she protested to no avail.

After the whole ordeal and after lunch, the group gave their ‘farewells’ to Thor. While the rest of the Avengers bid the Asgardian goodbye, Katy ignored him completely and instead gave Loki a thumbs up and a grin while commending his antics at the top of Stark Tower. The action struck the surrounding people and they stared in shock, Loki included. Had he not just scarred this woman for life? Quite literally as well.

She leaned forward and whispered in a low voice. “See you later,  _Ass-gardian._ ”

Katy stepped back with a smirk and backed was a few steps as Loki did his best to strangle her. Thor didn’t allow it. Once they had used the cube to leave, there was a sigh of relief to be rid of the god and his mischievous brother.

“What will you do now?” Steve and Katy sat on the edge of a fountain. Both were sitting forward to the point where they had to let their arms rest on their legs to keep from toppling over. It was nice to be enjoying each other’s company for a bit.

“Well, I have to go back to my other, more important job, and also go home for a bit.”

“More important job? Then what is your job with SHIELD?” Steve huffed a laugh at the comment, assuming this was the life she had talked about settling.

Katy grinned back, sighing as she stood up, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. “You, and SHIELD, don’t  _really_ need me. It’s more of a fun side-job if I’m being honest.”

“I’d prefer if you don’t speak on my behalf with that comment, Katy.”

It was her turn to huff a laugh, “Well if you need me, or just want to come visit, ask Fury for my number.”

Tony looked over his shoulder and called out, “I’m pretty sure you referenced Nanny McPhee wrong!”

Katy rolled her eyes. “See you later, Spangled Pants.” And in the blink of an eye, she was gone and back to Othos before Steve could say anything else on the subject.

Back in New York, the team stared at the spot Katy had vacated. It was silent for a moment.

“What were the chances she could have just dropped them off at Asgard?” Clint asked.

No one answered.

* * *

When Katy got back she immediately went to the base to check on her dragon first. When she found her, Layla had been teaching the dragon how to hunt a fox, for some undisclosed reason, just off the base’s grounds.

“Uh, Layla? Can I have Hestia back, please?”

The dragon, who had now grown a little, was more than ecstatic to see her rider back home and safe; leaping into Katy’s arms and ignoring Layla’s pleading to return to ‘training’.

“Hey Katy, what happened to your eye?” Now out of her hunting mode, Layla wasted no time in asking about the new look Katy sported. Sadly for Katy, this would be something almost  _everyone_ would bring up.

“I just got in a fight, no big deal. I’ll see you later, I have important business to check up on,” Katy waved as she walked off to find wherever the exchange student had gone to.

It took a lot of asking around but she eventually made her way to the lab, Hestia taking up residence as her second shadow. Many people stared as she walked by, no longer fazed by the dragon but rather the scar marring Katy’s face. No one made a move to ask the origins. Yet anyway.

“Kyoya, my boy! Good to see ya. Are you done with the portal yet?” The girl bounced on her heel as she came into the lab, the young dragon right beside her. It chirped as if it had repeated the question.

As soon as Kyoya heard her voice, a headache began to form, but he powered through and gave her a small grin; she was his boss after all. Though she wasn’t as bad as others he knew, she could give them a run for their money. “Welcome back, Sergeant Major. As a matter of fact, I finished this morning.” He straightened his posture, a bit proud of his achievement.

She gasped and stared with wide eyes, glancing between the portal and Kyoya. “You’re serious?” she screeched.

“Very.”

Katy’s happy-go-lucky attitude quickly shifted into something serious and her eyes darkened as she eyed the portal across the room. “Fantastic. Get it up and running.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my friends! So sorry for taking over a month on this second part. Finals had gotten busy, then I went on a trip, and now I’m back home and job hunting, sadly. Chapter 9 will be up much quicker! I promise!  
> ~ K-the-Queen
> 
> Honestly, I had the same stuff but there was a lot less motivation on my part. Apologies. Quick note though, you guys are in for a huge surprise. I say no more, and will see you next time!  
> ~ Lumos2000
> 
> Forgot to mention! You guys should go check out Lumos’ writings! Especially the ones whose initials spell SKOMO :p  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> It’s just “Soldier Keep On Marching On”, don’t make it so hard for people.  
> ~ Lumos2000


	9. SKOMO Quest Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Dean Winchester’s voice* previously on, “Fandom Quest”...
> 
> “Kyoya, my boy! Good to see ya. Are you done with the portal yet?” The girl bounced on her heels as she came into the lab, the young dragon right beside her. It chirped as if it had repeated the question.
> 
> As soon as Kyoya heard her voice, a headache began to form, but he powered through and gave her a small grin; she was his boss after all. Though she wasn’t as bad as others he knew, she could give them a run for their money. “Welcome back, Sergeant Major. As a matter of fact, I finished this morning.” He straightened his posture, a bit proud of his achievement.
> 
> She gasped and stared with wide eyes, glancing between the portal and Kyoya. “You’re serious?” she screeched.
> 
> “Very.”
> 
> Katy’s happy-go-lucky attitude quickly shifted into something serious and her eyes darkened as she eyed the portal across the room. “Fantastic. Get it up and running."

Katy hummed and stared at the screen linked to the portal. The readings were steady. She grinned and jumped up and down. They had a fully functioning portal! The scientific team behind her cheered and gave high fives to their teammates in celebration. The time and money spent on the project hadn’t gone to waste so far!

“Okay,” she said, “time for the test run.”

A scientist handed her a teddy bear with a cable attached to it. There would be no telling what would happen if they sent a live specimen through, so animal and human testing wouldn’t start until later. It would only happen if they could toss something through and retrieve it with no problems. Of course with any new project it would take many trials to get close to sending animals. Katy wasn’t the type of person to experiment with living creatures unless she was one hundred percent sure they would come back whole and unharmed.

Hestia crooned worriedly at the teddy bear. She thought they had gotten that for her. Katy smiled and patted the dragon in sympathy.

“You can have this if it comes back whole, deal?” she asked. The dragon nodded and walked away, drawn off by a low hanging wire. Katy cleared her throat and addressed her team of scientists. “Ladies and gentlemen this is a historic day for science. A lot of time and effort has been put into this and well… I’m terrible at speeches. So how about we all just toss this thing in and get it over with, eh?”

The scientists whooped and hollered, Kyoya rolled his eyes but he did smile. Katy turned around and walked closer to the portal, grin firmly in place. A crash sounded and she turned around in alarm. Hestia was tangled in wires and panicking. The dragon jumped and it’s feet were unbalanced. Then like a rock, the dragon fell to the floor.

Whatever beam had been holding the wire up snapped and came arcing down to Katy.

“Oh shit,” was all she said before she was flung into the portal via large metal beam.

Katy was gone in the swirling of blues, greens, and purples and the scientific team gasped and rushed forward. Hestia tried to follow but with the wires wrapped around her body she could only wriggle. But that wriggling was enough to finish the beam and it fell from the roof; creating a huge dent in the top of the portal. The portal sparked and sputtered before finally shutting off, losing its glow. Kyoya wiped away fallen dust from the computer screen and typed in commands to reboot the computer. The screen lit up and reported the reading up until the portal went out, including the destination and whether or not it was successful. He sighed in relief.

“She made it through!” he called out.

But there was no celebratory hurray from the team. Their leader was missing in a faraway land and they wouldn’t be able to retrieve her until they fixed the portal. That would take months to do and there was no telling if the world Katy landed on was habitable or not. Not to mention the time difference. It could be 10,000 B.C. where she was or perhaps 1940, and there was also the off chance that the other world moved at a different pace than their own. It would be like saying one day in Othos was fifteen there, or vice versa.

While scientists and dragon panicked on one side of the portal, Katy watched as blue and green flew by and she was flung through what may or may not have been a time vortex or black hole. Then suddenly she was staring at a blue sky and it was _hot_. Katy groaned and rolled over, taking note of the white bricks that created pillars and walls. They were in ruins however so she assumed she was in an ancient city. She stared up at the cloudless sky, then the ruins, and then the ground that had sand showing through where the bricks weren’t.

“Well this isn’t where I wanted to go. I was sure I was headed to the forest, not the desert. That’s a problem,” she noted mildly.

She shrugged and stood up so she could brush herself off. They could fix that problem with a little bit of calibration. A single look at her watch told her the coordinates of her location and they were inverted to where she had wanted to go. They’d have to fix that too. At the moment, she decided to take a look around.

The city was destroyed and was, as far as she could tell, ancient. There were no habitants, not that she expected any. The occasional lizard passed her by and at one point Katy was sure she’d seen the one with the blue underbelly twice. Eventually she made her way to what was more than likely the capital, given the size of the ruins and how it was at the center of the city. And then she saw it.

A large incomplete circle was drawn into a wall. Three suns made up part of the circle and lines were drawn to each of them. Writing was etched in and around the circle. Something clicked in her mind and Katy took a step back from the wall. She stared at the ruins in horror as she pieced it together. She knew very well where she was.

“This is definitely _not_ Ferelden,” Katy pinched the bridge of her nose in a desperate, and failed, attempt to rid herself of the headache.

The blistering sun beat down on her as she trudged through the desert sand in, what she hoped, was the direction of Amestris. Katy fiddled with her watch to try and get in contact with Kyoya. The watch beeped.

“ _Kyoya, can you hear me?”_ The static sound was barely heard over officers freaking out about the mishap. Luckily, when the beam broke the portal it didn’t take out communications, entirely anyway.

Kyoya shushed the scientific team and pressed the green blinking button to return his voice. “Katy is that you? Can you hear me? Over.”

Katy sighed and ran a hand through her blonde locks. “ _Yeah, I read you, over._ ”

“Are you okay? Did you sustain any injuries? Over.”

“ _I’m fine so the portal succeeded in taking me somewhere. Except this isn’t where I wanted to go. Over._ ”

“Pardon? You say the portal made a mistake? Over?”

“ _More like we did. The coordinates I’m showing are inverted compared to what I put in. Thankfully I know this place, relatively anyway. Over._ ”

Kyoya sighed and nodded. Her tone when she mentioned knowing the world hadn’t sounded too optimistic. “Where are you, over?”

“ _First I must admit that I didn’t see this one coming, not in a million years.”_ Katy groaned at the hot sun and huffed as she climbed the next sand dune. _“I landed in the ruins of Xerxes, are you familiar with the name? Over._ ”

“I’m afraid not, over.”

“ _Well it’s like this; I am now in the land of Hiromu Arakawa. Also known as Fullmetal Alchemist. Over._ ” There was silence and Katy paused her walking. “ _Kyoya, can you hear me?_ ”

“I read you just fine Katy. Are you sure there isn’t some mistake?” Kyoya asked, trying his best not to pull his hair out due to stress.

“ _I don’t think so. Not with those ruins and transmutation circles._ ” She hesitated a moment but continued on. “ _You’re not gonna like this, but I can’t go back to you guys just yet. There’s something here I need to do in the future of this world and you still need to  fix the portal so we can test if it can return people._ ”

Another scientist shoved Kyoya away from the mic and took her turn speaking. “Katy, it’s Christine and I can tell what you’re thinking. Those events may be happening years into the future or they may have already happened, there’s no telling until you get there!

Katy rolled her eyes but she nodded. “ _I can see your point Hange-_ ”

“That’s not my name!”

“ _\- and while it is very valid, I’m going to elect to ignore it. If the events haven’t happened yet then I’ll stay here undercover. If it’s years into the future then I’ll make time speed up here if I have to._ ”

Kyoya and Christine groaned before Kyoya was put back on the mic. “And you’re not willing to teleport home like you normally do?”

“ _No. This is something I have to do guys._ ”

They sighed at the finality in her tone before they nodded. Even universes away that woman was still their leader so while they maintained contact she would remain in charge.

“It’ll take months on our part,” Kyoya said, trying one last time to persuade her.

“ _And possibly years here. Don’t worry about me guys, I’ll be fine. I already have a plan._ ”

They continued talking as Kyoya updated Katy on the damage and what needed to be repaired. With that they also discussed her cover story, Christine having pulled up more information about the place that Katy could use. She committed it to memory and communications was cut off. But not before they set up check-in times and an excuse to Katy’s absence.

Throughout the day Katy trudged on in the sand, cursing the sun to hell and back. Somehow she hadn’t passed out from heat exhaustion. Only when it became night did Katy internally scream at herself for being stupid enough to walk through a desert when she could go anywhere in the blink of an eye. So instead of continuing on her way in the dark or resting, Katy pulled her strength together and teleported to East City, thankful that she didn’t need to see places first to get to them. It did however make the journey safer so when she dropped several feet in altitude onto a roof it was only due to the fact that it was a random teleport.

She sighed in relief as the cool concrete soothed the sunburn on the back of her neck and arms. Note to self, remember to travel over deserts _only_ as a last resort.

After Katy hopped down from the rooftop, landing with surprising grace on the street below, she set out to find a place to stay for the night. As she traveled down the street she saw a women's clothing store and changed her clothing to match the style she saw. There, now she didn't look out of place. Her outfit was something a little more clean and appropriate for the setting. Then Katy put her hair in a ponytail, the strands of hair that didn't reach the entire way framed her face.

She nodded in satisfaction before vanishing the conjured body mirror. Three blocks later she happened upon a motel and headed inside. The clerk at the counter raised a judgemental eyebrow at the hour but gave her the room for a reasonable price. Or what seemed like one as she didn't know the exchange rates. Thankfully there was a tip jar sitting out so she could copy the currency. She feigned ignorance and said she was from a different country so the clerk would tell her which was worth what.

On the way up, she noticed a paper in the corner and the date, 1909. So the Ishvalan War had just ended. The night was spent perfecting her cover. She would be from a town in the East but they wouldn't be able to pull up her records because they'd burned in the war. With so many alchemists leaving the military it would be the perfect time for her to show up and take the exam. With no friends or family to speak of there would be no one to question about her existence.

With her past out of the way, Katy focused on appearance and what she would do for the practical part of the exam. The written quiz would come easily and the psychological evaluation would only question what she would do if she passed the exam. Easy peasy. Appearance wise Katy hoped her attire wouldn't attract too much attention.

The next morning Katy asked the clerk at the desk, who had changed shifts and was now manned by a man, when the State Alchemy exam would be held. Fortunately the man knew due to his brother being in the military. Unfortunately it was that day. So with no more than directions to Eastern Command, Katy rushed out the door in a hurry, thankful that it was early enough in the morning that there weren't many people around to see her sprinting.

The men at the gates tried to stop her from getting in but when Katy explained how she was going to take the exam they let her through. Not without looks of confusion and amusement, though. They clearly thought she couldn't do it.

She pursed her lips and marched forward into Eastern Command, determined to make any man who thought they were better than her know their place; she was a _goddess_ after all. Another soldier pointed her to the correct room and she grabbed a quiz and pen on the way in. A lot of looks were shot her way but Katy ignored them and took her seat at the front of the class, daring anyone to glance her way.

Sadly for Katy, the quiz was surprisingly harder than she thought it was going to be. It wasn't that surprising she didn't know who Nicholas Flamel was, she didn't know Amestris' history. The only reason she passed was due to her high scores in writing out the Periodic Table and basic reactions between elements. Her circles were perfect as well so that may have been a huge factor.

As they waited out in the hall for their results, Katy stood off to the side, away from the rest of the recruits. More men shot her looks until she finally snapped at them.

"What?" she barked, folding her arms over her chest.

Most of the men turned away except for one. This man haughtily stalked towards Katy in an attempt to intimidate her but when she didn't move he glared at her. She only raised an eyebrow. The others stood by and watched in interest.

"You should leave now while you can," the stocky man said. "Alchemy is a man's profession, something a girl like you would never understand."

“If you don’t back off, you won’t have what it takes to be a man, if you catch my drift," Katy replied easily. A few whistles sounded from behind the large man.

The man turned red and glared even harder down at her. Before he could say more a voice interrupted them. "Problem here, ma'am and sir?"

The man turned stiffly to look at the soldier staring him down. He immediately took a step back and shook his head. "No, sir," he ground out. Then he walked away.

Katy rolled her eyes and turned to her savior. "Thank you, but I had it handled."

The soldier laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know, but still, men shouldn't pick on others." He fixed the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "So, uh, what are you doing here? Not that it's any of my business."

Katy laughed and leaned against the pillar behind her. Something about this man was familiar. "No, it's fine. I'm here to take the State Alchemy exam. The name's Katy," she held out a hand, "Katy… Erwin."

The soldier took her hand. "Kain Fuery." Katy hid her staring by looking at her boots, feigning a blush. Fuery was one of Mustang's. Maybe she could end up in their team if she was lucky. She could use that advantage to keep an eye on them for the coming future. "You're trying to become a State Alchemist? That's awesome! I have a friend who'd love to have you around, but she doesn't have her own team currently."

Katy frowned in sympathy, "Well that's too bad."

A soldier walked through the doors across the hall and started calling off names one by one. These people would be advancing on to the Psychological Evaluation, the rest would be provided with a train ticket home if needed. The annoying man from earlier shot her a smug look as he was announced to be going on to the next part and left to the room he was directed to.

"Katy…" the soldier tailed off and squinted at the writing. He looked up and the remaining people and singled her out. "I have no idea what this says but you're obviously the only 'Katy' here so you're on to the next part." The man turned back to the list.

"It's Erwin," she said. "Sorry about the handwriting." The soldier nodded and scribbled it down with only a question on how to spell it. He went on with only two more names.

Fuery smiled, "Wow! Looks like you're advancing." He gasped as he remembered his duties. "Oh! I have to go, I apologize. Good luck!" Fuery booked it down the hall and was gone in seconds.

"Thanks! I guess!" Katy called after him.

Then she shrugged and made her way into the next room. The rude man looked at her in surprise, as did the rest of the men. Without looking closely Katy could count that only ten of them were left, including herself. The men were watching her closely, one in particular wishing her failure.

One by one, people were called in for an interview. Finally she was called in. Katy stepped into the dark room, her steps echoing in the chamber. There, under the light, was the golden chair standing on only three legs tethered to a transmutation circle on the ground. She ignored the circle and focused on the chair. It would be the thing deciding if she had an aptitude for alchemy. It was only when you had an understanding of balance, equivalent exchange, that you could sit on the chair without fail.

Katy took a breath and sat in the chair. It didn't waver, not even a centimeter. She sighed in relief and a voice sounded from in front of her, an area she couldn't see. It wasn't illuminated at all.

"Why are you here?"

Caribbean green eyes stared ahead and fixed themselves on an invisible object. "There's someone that I need to look out for, and I believe the military would be my best choice."

"Why become a State Alchemist rather than a regular soldier."

"Alchemy is what I do best. I figured I could help more people with alchemy rather than guns."

" _'Alchemist, be thou for the people'_ is it?"

Katy shook her head. "No. It's more equivalent exchange. I would use whatever resources are given to me to help protect the ones I care about. In turn they will protect the ones they care about, and so on."

There was silence for a moment until the man's voice sounded again.

"You would be serving under the military. Obedience is required when joining the military. Can you guarantee this to your service?"

"If obedience is the price I must pay for the protection of me and mine, then I will gladly pay it."

Thirty minutes later she was standing outside the room. The rest of her group had gone in and the verdict had been decided. Only five of them would be advancing, anyone who wouldn't be was sent home. The practical would be starting the next day so they were all advised to take the night off and prepare.

The night was spent tailoring her outfit for the last part of the exam, the Practical. She knew what she'd be doing, and it may get her kicked from Eastern Headquarters altogether. If she succeeded however, there wouldn't be any reason to _not_ accept her.

She made her way back to H.Q. the next morning, waving at the soldiers who stopped her the day before. They stared at her curiously but let her go on her way. Katy joined up with the other four, barely glancing at the large man from before. The other men showed surprise at her arrival and shot looks between the two, but otherwise left her alone. That didn't mean they didn't glance at her, more than likely due to her outfit.

Katy wore a blue jacket that came just below her chest, the sleeves ending just above elbow height. A light blue t-shirt was worn beneath it and ended inches below the elbow. Her forearms were covered in grey arm guards which led down to her wrists and to the black fingerless gloves. Only her thumb and middle finger were covered by the black material, a silvery substance coated her middle fingers covering while her thumb had a slight rough edge to it. A blue transmutation circle was seen into the back of the glove. Grey leggings covered her legs, while more leathery material guarded her shins and waist. Black boots covered her feet and a thin blue sash was tied around her waist to complete the ensemble.

The group was led into a large field with trees, a small pond, a glacier, and boulders littering the far area. Clouds blocked the sun, signaling that it may rain soon.

"These materials are free to use in the final of the State Alchemy Examination," the soldier said, points at the objects. It made sense to use the earth, wood, water, and ice to create what they wanted. "Any damages are expected to be repaired. Begin!"

Four of the five set off to the materials, chalk in hand. Katy stayed where she was and surveyed the land. Then she walked forward, passing all the men, and climbed a tree before promptly sitting on one of the lower branches. The bored look on her face enraged one man and gained her curious looks from the judges/Generals and a few competitors.

One of the Generals walked forward, an eyebrow raised. "Do you plan on creating something miss?" he asked.

Katy shook her head and pointed to the other four who were doing their own things. "I'm waiting for them to finish so I may ask for a request."

" _'A request'_?" the old man repeated.

Is there an echo out here? Katy thought. "Yes. I wish to demonstrate my alchemy by combat."

" _Your_ alchemy you say?" The man brought a hand under his chin, intrigued with the woman in the tree. He caught sight of the blue circles on her gloves and grinned. "If you promise a good show, I'll personally send my niece down here with her superior. He's a good alchemist."

Katy grinned, "Sure. If you think he can beat me."

The old man laughed and walked away, grin set firmly on his face. He waved a soldier over and then sent them off within a minute. Katy turned back to her group and noticed the works. One man had created a small army, maybe five or six, of bears. The detail was good but the man was out of breath after his transmutation. The second man created an ice sculpture of… something. Katy wasn't sure what it was and she didn't think the Generals knew either. The third man, who had officially been dubbed Jackass for the occasion, had only just finished his circle. Obviously Jackass had been watching the second man because he too created a statue, only that time it was made of rock and one could clearly see it was a king sitting on his throne. Grudgingly, Katy had to admit that he had a bit of talent with rocks. The fourth man finished his transmutation by heating up sand to create glass and using it to create a large dam. The detail was amazing and the man wasn't tired at all.

The soldier came back just as the dam was finished. He was flanked by two people. Katy hopped down from the tree and made her way over to the Generals, specifically the old man and the two new people. Katy grinned internally, they were just who she wanted to see.

"... and this here is the lovely lady who requested a combat test," the old man finished, waving a hand over to Katy.

Katy smiled sweetly and held out her hand. "Katy Erwin, nice to have you here. It'd really be helpful if you'd dual me with your alchemy."

There was silence as both processed her words. Then the man smiled and took her hand, "Roy Mustang, a pleasure. This is my Warrant Officer, Riza Hawkeye." He motioned to the woman with the short, blonde hair to his right. Katy shook her hand as well. "I must admit I did not expect this when I came here. Are you sure you want to dual with alchemy?"

Roy looked unsure. Katy wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid of hurting her or something else. She nodded.

"Absolutely!"

The old man grinned and clapped his hands, "Excellent!"

The four men in her group must've seen what was going on and they scampered off to the sidelines. The Generals looked on in interest and Hawkeye was shaking her head. Katy didn't know if it was at Mustang, the old man, or her. But she took up residence in the field, twenty meters away from Mustang.

The opponents each held a hand free, ready to make a move. One hand was behind Katy's back, tilted ever so slightly that Mustang couldn't see the circle. One of Mustang's hands were inside a pocket. There was silence.

"3… 2… 1…" the old man intoned. He tossed a chunk of ice in the air and Hawkeye shot it.

They snapped.

Red flame met blue and they collided, canceling one another out. Katy allowed Mustang the moment of shock before she snapped again, running toward the man. Roy reacted quickly and sent off his own flames. This time the blue went out and Katy dived to the side, sliding behind a large rock in time to avoid the flame. She went to take a step around it but was cut off from both sides, the flames encircled her.

"Does this mean you give up?" Mustang called.

"Not a chance!" Katy yelled back. She turned and faced the boulder, gripping her hands where she could. Then she climbed as fast as she could. She reached the top in a second and dived off, snapping her fingers. A blue halo of fire encircled her and it vanished once more with Roy's flame.

From a distance Hawkeye gasped. "Did you see that?" she asked.

"I think so," one of the new recruits answered, staring heavily at the fight.

Hawkeye startled as a raindrop fell on her cheek, and then another, and another. She sighed, the fight was over.

"Aw," the old man groaned. "And it was just starting to get good. Too bad the rain had to step in, eh?"

When Katy felt the first raindrop she thought it was water from the melting glaciers. The second one though, that sent a smile to her face. She breathed deeply as the scent of rain hit her nose and sent a grin at Mustang.

"What are you grinning at?" he asked as they circled like vultures.

"Can't you smell it?"

Mustang was confused for a second before he sighed. "So the fight's over now."

Katy's grin widened. "Not until it rains it isn't."

She snapped again and her blue flames met the resistance of Mustang's. Eventually he continued to drive her back toward the entrance of the arena, cornering her. It was then that the rain poured down. Mustang grimaced and sighed as the Generals, recruits, and Hawkeye started toward them.

"So that's that then," he said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Katy intoned. Her other hand was brought forward and she snapped both sets of fingers. "I have the high ground."

Twin flames rested on her palms and Katy grinned at Mustang who stared in astonishment. Her flames weren't going out. The fires became brighter and Mustang had to take a step back. Lightning flashed and everyone paused at the image behind Katy.

"You have to say you lost, Mustang." There was silence from him and the group. Katy frowned and lightning flashed multiple times, almost coinciding with her action. "My flames work in the rain, yours don't. I win."

Mustang sighed in frustration and nodded, "Fine, you win." The flames dissipated and Katy grinned, sending a shiver down his spine at the almost malicious feel. Then Katy was skipping through the doors to await her results. "Surely that wasn't natural. Hawkeye, you saw that too, correct?"

"I did, sir."

"And what did you see?"

Katy Erwin's dark grin. Blue flames that threatened to destroy whatever came in contact with it. The light of the flames illuminating _something_ as the two dueled. The lightning providing a clear shadow of feathered wings at Katy Erwin's back.

"Wings," she replied simply.

A recruit yawned as they walked back into H.Q.. "I don't see what you're all spooked about, no offense. Honestly it was probably burn marks from the flames or paint."

"But when would she have time to paint?" another asked.

The first one shrugged, "No clue. And if she couldn't paint then it was just burn marks. She just needed to get over to the door so we could see them for dramatic effect. Mystery solved."

The old man grinned and nodded. "Heh heh," he chuckled,running a hand through his short beard. "I guess so. And the little lady did come through with an entertaining fight."

Four days later Katy was called back to H.Q. to receive her State Alchemist watch and codename. Apparently she'd made quite an impression on the Generals. The watch had her name carved onto the back in small lettering, as all other watches did. The old man personally gave her the watch and her name.

"So what's my name then? If it's something girly I'll be gone," Katy laughed. She was completely serious. "First female State Alchemist or no."

The old man grinned and handed her a folder. "Why don't you find out."

Katy took the folder and scanned the document inside quickly, lips moving to the words. She paused and grinned. "Awesome."

The old man laughed, "Yes, I thought you would appreciate it. Now tell me, _Blue Devil_ , are you ready for your future?"

"As I'll ever be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Be ready for a long ass chapter because this is just the first part! All the praise for this part should go to Lumos because they did literally everything on this. I assisted a little and gave suggestions XD thanks again!  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> That's only because I'm more familiar with this universe and fandom than you are.  
> ~ Lumos2000


	10. SKOMO Quest: Part 2

Katy tapped her foot and scowled as she waited for her commanding officer to finish his meeting with the rest of the senior staff. Apparently she'd done too many things once again that challenged her C.O. and now she was being let go. She shifted against the cold seat in Central Command.

"I have had it with her!" his booming voice came from the other side of the door. "One of you have to take her!"

"You think we want that demon spawn in our teams?" another voice asked. "She was with me last time and last I remembered, Erwin doesn't listen to me! Let's not forget her mouthy tendencies."

Katy snorted, thinking back to the time he told her to 'stay' and she responded with: "Do I look like a damn dog to you? Do I have a tail sticking out of my ass? I may be a dog of the military but I don't respond to animal commands."

Her C.O. had stared at her. "You'll sit and stay like the dog you are."

She punched him for that, which led her up to the moment she was currently in. She sighed and stretched; they'd been going at it for almost two hours. No one wanted her on their team because she was described as unstable among other things.

"I'll take her."

The smile instantly slid off Katy’s face as she looked towards the door. She was baffled that someone was willing to take her on their team. They must be ballsy or they just haven’t heard the stories about her. The other officers apparently thought the same.

"Come again?"

"I'll take on Erwin." The voice was soft and distinctly female. "Major or not she needs a commanding officer."

"You're digging yourself a grave with that one, Wilson. You're brand new to dealing with teams."

Katy raised an eyebrow. Wilson was the name?

"Doesn't matter. I'll be taking her on."

The door opened and several men stepped through, followed by a woman. Katy’s eyes landed on the woman, giving her a once over. Black hair, dark green eyes, obviously someone from the senior staff if she was allowed a team. She also noticed she was a few inches taller than Wilson. The name didn’t sound familiar and her looks were too detailed, too much thought was put into her. Was she just another background character? 

“Hey, Wilson. I’m Katy, nice to meet you,” Katy stood and held her hand out to shake Wilson’s hand, giving her a smile. 

Wilson smiled up at Katy and returned the handshake, “I’ve heard. I’ve also heard you have a particularly long rebellious streak.” Wilson let go of Katy’s hand. “From now on you’ll be working under me. One upside of being transferred to my team is that you don’t have to move; I’m stationed here in Central.”

Katy frowned, “Yeah, I guess.”

Arguing. That was all they did. The rest of the team found it amusing most days as it was a source of entertainment for them. Katy found out Wilson  _ wasn’t _ her commanding officer’s first name when Jack, one of her new teammates asked her why she referred to Wilson with her  _ last name _ . 

When asked why Katy didn’t know her first name Wilson smiled and said, “It’s just because you didn’t ask. My name is Aiden.”

Katy expected to be reprimanded when she kept on using Aiden’s first name rather than her last, but no such thing happened. When she went off on her own to do her own thing she expected to be yelled at and put in line. That didn’t happen either. It became apparent that Aiden’s team was rather lax in enforcing certain rules and keeping soldiers in line. 

“I just don’t see any reason to order someone to do something when I can ask them instead,” Aiden said while scribbling something down on a sheet of paper. “If you want to research something then go ahead, I won’t stop you. Just make sure you can pass your yearly assessment when it comes around. And when I need you I’ll expect you to be there. Is that understood?”

After that the two almost never fought, the atmosphere of the office becoming a lot more peaceful. Of course, even with Katy’s quiet persona, her quick-witted responses and sarcastic demeanor never let the time in the office be spent in silence for too long. Aiden herself rather enjoyed their spats and the two began to spend more time together. They got together like a house on fire - which was sometimes bad for those they didn’t favor.

Two months passed by and Aiden held the record for how long Katy was under one person’s command. Much to her surprise, Maes Hughes dropped by and talked a lot with Aiden and the two seemed like close friends. According to the woman they’d known one another since the Ishvalan War. He easily welcomed Katy into Aiden’s team, even though it wasn’t his place to do so, and her fate was sealed when she didn’t push away his pictures. Katy and Aiden were the top targets when Maes had a new photo.

Even after weeks of nonstop pictures Katy didn’t seem to mind the things, and she really didn’t. In fact she loved them and gave Maes ideas on how to snap better pictures. After that the man started to commandeer Katy to his team. Aiden had to repeatedly tell Maes that Katy was  _ her _ subordinate, not his. He retaliated by almost kidnapping the two of them when he wanted their help in a case.

* * *

“Eastern? Why the hell are we going to the East?” Katy scowled, following Aiden out into town since they both lived fairly close to one another. Suddenly Katy remembered: that’s where Roy Mustang and the Elric brothers were. “Wait, isn’t the Flame Alchemist in Eastern?” 

“You’re right on the money, Erwin. Who told you?” 

She shrugged, straightening her figure, “Wild guess.” 

“Well I’m wildly guessing that you know something I don’t.” Aiden paused to stare at a stall of fruit. She purchased a couple apples and handed one to Katy. “Anyway, there’s a case we’re being called to. Some kind of murder and the Eastern teams can’t figure it out, so they called us in. It happens more times than you would think.”

She, Aiden, and Maes met later at the train station, all three headed to the same destination with a long ride ahead of them. Aiden had advised Katy to pack about a weeks worth of clothes and then the necessities. She did as asked and boarded the train with the other two. The rest of the teams weren’t going due to housing issues in the East and they were left with instructions to  _ not _ burn Central Command down while they were gone. Katy had only left the note as a joke.

The two days it took to get to the East took a toll on Aiden’s mental health. Katy had spent much of the time making random noises, repeating phrases, and mocking Aiden when she’d been told to shut up. Once the train had made its final stop in Eastern, Katy was the first one off and cheering like she had just won first place in a contest. With a snap of her fingers, she spelled the word ‘freedom’ with her flames in the air, all while chanting the same word and dancing; which drew some attention. 

Maes watched amusedly as the two women bickered back and forth as they walked toward Eastern Command. He wouldn’t be so chipper if he had to sit with  _ her _ during the nights, Aiden thought bitterly. They paid no mind to their baggage, which would be taken and sent to their rooms.

“Come on guys,” he grinned. “We’re all about to go to work. Act civilized please.”

They looked at the man with matching stares. 

“We’re perfectly civilized,” Katy said.

“Everyone else is just uncivilized,” Aiden finished, nodding her head.

“It could be worse-”

“Yes it could-”

“But we know-”

“When to call it quits. Don’t we Katy?”

“Of course we do.”

They’d stopped walking and Maes was staring at them with a grimace. He glanced between the two and waited for more words. When none came he sighed. “Has anyone ever told you, you are creepy?”

The two women shrugged and resumed walking. “Not really,” Katy said. “But you should be proud of us. We’ve been practicing that for a while.” Aiden hummed in agreement and jogged up the steps leading into Eastern Command.

The three spent the day talking to the investigative teams and reading over any information they’d gathered. It wasn’t much, but Maes had been able to identify a lead. The baker across the street from where it had happened hadn’t made a report of anything happening on the night of the murder and the investigators hadn’t asked. That earned a stern lecture from Aiden about the importance of casing the area and talking to the people who may or may not have been present at the time.

The chatter at Mustang’s table in the mess hall came to a halt as Katy busted through the doors, a large smile on her face. “Mustang! Long time no see!” She rushed over, throwing an arm around the man’s shoulders, “Mind if we join y’all for dinner?” 

Y’all? Who the hell says that in a place like this, he thought. “Yes, actually-”

“Great!” She made herself comfortable next to Hawkeye, Mustang’s Lieutenant, and  instantly striking up a conversation with the woman. 

Aiden simply sat down on one of the seats and sighed tiredly. In followed Maes who collapsed in the opposite seat. It had been an excruciatingly long day for the pair; dead leads, uncooperative suspects, and plenty of files to read.

“Long day?” Mustang asked.

“I’ve had better,” they chimed.

Barely twenty minutes into the meal, Katy’s eyes suddenly darkened as she pushed herself away from the table and started walking towards the doors without an explanation as to where she was headed. Both Aiden and Maes caught a glimpse of her face and she seemed livid. Maes sent Aiden a questioning look but all she could do was shrug.

Katy stormed out of Eastern Command and stood in the nearest telephone booth. “Kyoya! Why the hell are you calling me earlier than our scheduled time? I almost blew my cover!” the woman yelled through the payphone. Her voice wasn’t the usual cheerful tone, but a dark, spine chilling one. 

“ _ I apologize ma’am, but there is something important that I need to inform you about.”  _

“Cat got your tongue? Tell me!” 

“ _ The Weasley twins were out of a few items needed to fix the portal. They said to expect a two month delay.”  _

Katy groaned in frustration, her grip tightening around the phone, leaving a small crack. “That isn’t acceptable, Kyoya. Tell them if they don’t have it in two weeks time, I’ll skin them alive, literally.” 

“ _ But ma’am-” _

“I don’t have time for this!” she screamed, her blue flames circling the booth as she slammed her fist against the glass door. The glass cracked in a spiderweb formation and blood dripped from her knuckles. Hissing from the pain, she finally took a breath to calm herself. “I need to get back home, Kyoya. I have something important going on soon that I can’t miss, but I want this taken care of before I leave, so  _ please _ … just do it.” 

“ _ Understood, ma’am. Although you must realize that we won’t be able to finish for at least a month, even with the parts.”  _

“Yeah I know. But you need the parts for the next step, so one month is better than three or more.

_ “I will inform the brothers of your request. Until they respond we will continue with the original contact schedule.” _

“Agreed.” Katy hung up and sighed once more, resting her forehead against the cool glass. Three or so months left in the other world to get home. A few years left here until she had to save Maes from Envy. She could do it, it was nothing compared to her hundreds of years as a god once before. Except… last time she could visit whoever, whenever she wanted. 

The woman glared up at the shining lights of Eastern Command. No, she’d be fine! She looked at the shattered glass and her bleeding hand before restoring them to the undamaged selves they’d been only minutes ago.

The mess hall was still mostly empty when she got back to her seat. Her commanding officer glanced up from her food, “What was that all about? You looked like Hell on wheels.”

“Sorry, Aiden but it is none of your concern.” The girl grabbed her bread roll and walked back toward the doors, waving bye to the group as she left to get some rest. 

“Uh, okay then.” Aiden looked back at her friends and shook her head at their silent questions. “I have no idea guys.”

The next morning Katy was on better terms with the world, if one could call singing ‘better terms’. No one from either team considered singing about murder to be a good thing, but it was a good wake up call for those who were low on power. Poor Kain Fuery was startled from his chair when she burst in.

“Can’t you control your subordinate?” Mustang ground out irritably.

Aiden rubbed her forehead to try and keep the early morning headache at bay. “There would be no point, she’d still do things rather than say them.” She took a sip of the terrible coffee the East provided. “I think we’d all agree when I say that having  _ that _ one singing about murder is better than her actually committing the crime. I wouldn’t put it past her to know how.”

“Especially if she’s your subordinate,” Jean nodded, speaking up from beside Aiden. He sat across from Hawkeye who was next to Mustang. “Remember that case you set up a year ago that you actually got away with? Let’s hope she’s not taking any queues from you.”

When their attention was back on Katy, she was nowhere to be seen and the room was quiet for a moment. “You’d be smart to not put murder past me, Aiden,” she whispered in her commanding officer’s ear, giving a glare to Jean. “Wanna know how I’d do it?” 

Aiden jolted to the side and glared at the floor before giving a sidelong look at Mustang as if to say, ‘You see what I mean?’ On the other side of Katy, Jean leaned away from the woman with a cautious stare. “Sure, I’m curious.” He didn’t catch Aiden’s look over her shoulder that obviously told him his answer was the wrong one.

Katy stared at the man, a bit surprised by his answer. A grin slipped on her face and the dark aura surrounding Katy disappeared. “Okay! So-” she hopped up on the table, facing Aiden and Jean with her legs crossed, back towards Riza and Roy. “Books teach me useful things, ya know. For instance, did you know that if you electrocute someone while holding them underwater, it’ll leave no burn marks on the body?” With the dark aura surrounding her once again, and the grin now creepy instead of sweet, she crossed her arms over her chest and laid back on the table, looking to Roy and Riza. “Isn’t that interesting, Roy?” 

Mustang looked a bit unsettled with the grin, stare, and random fact the woman had just shared. Riza calmly sipped her coffee and nodded thoughtfully at the piece of information. She’d moved their food to the side before Katy had the chance to lay in it. Aiden was shaking her head and even Maes was unsettled, while Jean lightly shivered at the woman before him. She turned her head and creepily stared down at the man. Jean gulped.

* * *

The meal ended quickly after that and the teams were sent home. The next day Katy was walking back to Eastern Command and stopped for a drink at a store when military police suddenly surrounded the place. A confused look was shared between all of the customers, all three of them.

“Come on out, Jenkins!” one man shouted. “We have you surrounded, you have nowhere to run!”

Jenkins? Wasn’t that the name of the kidnapper from the West who stole away kids and sold them for profit? Katy looked over the shelves and didn’t find the man in question, there was however, a teen who looked remarkably like the criminal. Oh, it was a classic case of mistaken identity. She moved over to him.

“They mean you,” she said.

“Huh? What? Who are you? Why do they want me?” the teen asked.

“You look like a criminal from the West, but you don’t have blond hair.” She nodded towards his very black hair. “Just go out and explain that you’re not him. They should be able to see that.”

The teen took in her military uniform. “U-Uh, okay. If you say so.” He walked to the entrance with his hands up and proceeded outside. “Uh, hi. My name’s Orion Webber, I’m not the guy from the West.”

“Ha! Like we’ll believe that. Anyone can dye their hair and say a name,” another officer voiced.

Orion looked over his shoulder helplessly at Katy who groaned at the stupidity of the military police. Katy vaulted over a low rack of store items and rushed to the aid of the young man. She held her hands out in front of her and glared at the MPs. A deep breath, “Don’t shoot dickheads!”

There was a stunned silence from the people around her. The officers took in her blue military uniform and the stripes on her shoulders. What on earth was a Major doing protecting a criminal? One of the officers gasped.

“She’s a State Alchemist!” he cried, pointing at the silver pocket watch in one of her hands.

“A female State Alchemist?” 

“That must mean…”

Katy grinned and pointed at her chest. “That’s right, boys. I’m the Blue Devil Alchemist, Katy Erwin.”

The soldiers immediately lowered their guns and saluted their superior. “We’re sorry ma’am! We didn’t know you were a State Alchemist!”

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, glaring at the men. “You morons! You couldn’t tell that this kid was too young to be Jenkins? He doesn’t even look old enough to grow a full mustache! You should know by the pictures we have of him that he’s blond and had a full on goatee.”

Orion was a little offended at the statement but he kept silent. The MPs and Katy talked more and eventually he was sent home with a formal apology from the MPs and a small smile from the alchemist. He made sure to thank her before he left and told her that he was going to tell his little sister about meeting her, as his sister was one of Katy’s biggest fans. Katy gave a stern lecture to the military police about fact checking and using common sense before trying to arrest an innocent.

By the time she made it to headquarters she was a full hour behind schedule. She burst into the room and took up her seat almost a second later before her head dropped onto her desk with an audible thunk.

Aiden raised an eyebrow from her own place and Maes set a cup of coffee in front of her. “Should we even ask or will I get paperwork on it?”

“Paperwork, sorry.”


	11. SKOMO Quest: Part 3

Sitting in her office, Aiden was staring down Katy. Aiden could never figure her out; there were inconsistencies in every report regarding Katy. One would say that she interviewed a criminal at three in the afternoon while another said she rescued a kitten out of a tree roughly at the same time,  _ across the city _ . When more and more of the inconsistencies kept popping up Aiden did her best to cover them up and research as far and wide as possible to see how far back it went.

Everything started just after the Ishvalan War ended and Katy was assigned her first superior officer. As one could guess, Katy being in two places at once was never looked at, as there would have been a file for Aiden to look through. So she was the first. The only explanation Aiden could come up with was that Katy was a homunculus. The chances of Katy being with Father and the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins was rather low, but she didn't want to take any chances. There was no telling just who made her, and with Katy being in two places at once it was obvious that Katy could duplicate herself. Aiden refused to believe that Katy could time travel.

So with a new homunculus around with an unknown agenda, Aiden wanted her  _ gone _ until the thing with Maes came and went. There was no chance of her taking 'no' for an answer. Katy was a wild card in her plans.

"I have to stay!" Katy argued, glaring at her superior.

They'd been going at it for a while, the rest of her subordinates were sitting at their desks and doing their best to ignore them. Aiden asked Katy to go with the Elric's but Katy kept on refusing. She wouldn't answer why and then the argument escalated into a shouting match that had Jack thankful for the thick walls.

"For what?" Aiden shouted back. "What could you  _ possibly _ need to stay for?"

Katy gave a frustrated sigh and paced the area in front of Aiden's desk. "I said I can't tell you."

"Well until you can I expect you to be on that train."

"Why can't I-"

"Major Katy Erwin I am formally ordering you, as your commanding officer, to board the train headed for Rush Valley. You will serve as protection for the Fullmetal Alchemist, his brother, and their friend.  _ Do I make myself clear? _ " Aiden growled.

Out of their field of vision, Aiden's subordinates tensed and stared in shock. Aiden had never once given a formal order to any of them. She would only ever ask them to do their jobs and take care of themselves so they didn't work their minds and bodies to death. They knew she hated pulling rank even on new recruits with attitude. For Aiden to do so with one of her friends... it was unthinkable!

Katy pursed her lips and glared furiously at her commanding officer. " _ Yes. Ma'am, _ " she said through clenched teeth. Then Katy turned and stormed out the door.

The woman grumbled words of anger as she stormed down the sidewalk headed to her home. “Why  _ now _ , of all times does she have to order me to do something! She never orders me around, at least formally!” Stopping in front of Aiden’s apartment building, which was right next to Katy’s, she took a moment to think. Something clicking in her head. “Not possible…” 

Katy checked her surroundings then teleported into her commanding officer’s home, putting her gloves on as she walked around. “If I were her, where would I hide something?” she mumbled while on her hands and knees checking under the couch. “Oh!” she hopped to her feet, going into Aiden’s room. “Somewhere that would be close to me that I wouldn’t have to check everyday, and somewhere no one would think to look…” she stood in the doorway, hand over her mouth as she thought of a place to look, her eyes scanning every open space she could see. 

With a small groan of frustration, Katy search through Aiden’s drawers, almost slamming the nightstand drawer closed. When she did the desk hit the wall, making a quiet echo rumble through the wall. “When did you learn alchemy?” she whispered to herself, placing her hands on a section of the wall and making a little door so she could look inside. When she did, she found something wrapped up in a towel, which definitely sparked an interest in the interloper. 

As she unwrapped it on the bed, she could tell that the journal was old, given by the faded pages and worn cover. When she opened it, though, she didn’t find what she was expecting. A love journal, personal secrets, maybe even a family cookbook for some reason or another. Written inside, in  _ English _ rather than Amestrian, was a bulleted list of all the important dates and events that have happened, and will happen in this world. That was all Katy needed to confirm her suspicion: Aiden was like her. 

In the beginning Katy had noticed how close Aiden was to Mustang and Maes. At first she thought it’d been a coincidence, how easily Aiden worked alongside the pair and Mustang’s team. But then she focused on how the woman was in terms of plot. She’d never been mentioned in the manga or the animes. If she had then Aiden would’ve helped Mustang behind the scenes of the coup d’etat at the end of the series and not once had she been mentioned or even thought of. When she heard that Aiden had stepped forward to protect Edward from Scar in East City, right after the Tucker incident, she knew something had to be off. And again when Aiden stepped in when Mustang fought Scar by the river,  _ which never happened _ . Aiden was obviously misplaced. But a person can’t just show up from nowhere unless they were like Katy!

If Aiden was from her world, and knew about all of these things, she must be planning to stop Maes Hughes’ death! A flip to the end of the journal confirmed her thoughts and Katy grinned. She shouldn’t have doubted her friend after all! Aiden was going to save Maes! After placing everything back where it needed to go and making sure there was no evidence of Katy being there, she teleported to her own apartment and packed for her trip to Rush Valley, meeting the brothers and Winry at the train station not long after. 

It was hard saying goodbye to Maes without  _ fully _ knowing if Aiden’s plan was going to work or not. But she did her best and gave the man a hug before she left. The train ride to Rush Valley was a long one but it was worth it. Katy and Winry got along well, and Ed found it disturbing how easily Katy was able to tell Winry how to knock a person out with only a wrench and a piece of ice.

Rush Valley itself was nothing special to Katy. The town was full of automail mechanics that wanted to take a look at Ed’s arm and leg and nearly undressed the kid to less than the bare minimum. To make things worse, for everyone else anyway because Katy found it hilarious, Ed’s pocket watch was stolen by Paninya. Katy had wandered off while her three charges chased after the pickpocket, but she caught up to them quickly with drinks in hand.

“Katy!” Ed yelled. “Why didn’t you help us catch her! Winry was the one who got her!”

She sipped her drink and stared impassively at the teen. “I’m your bodyguard, not your maid. Only you can protect yourself against pickpockets in a crowd like that.”

When the rain poured she did her best to help with the delivery of the baby. But even she couldn’t unsee those horrors. “That’s it,” she said, kneeling on the ground. “I’m swearing off children until I’m not suffering from nightmares.” The new parents laughed and nodded in understanding.

Since there were no signs of Scar in Rush Valley, Katy went with the brothers to visit their teacher in Dublith. Though, they warned her beforehand that Izumi wasn’t like  _ normal _ women. Meeting the woman was… an interesting experience. She’d kicked Edward across the yard and tossed Alphonse onto his back.

“And who are you?” Izumi asked. “A military officer? No, judging by the chain at your waist, you’re the first and only female State Alchemist.” She smiled and held out a hand. “Izumi Curtis, nice to meet you. I’m sorry you’ve had to stick with these boys for so long.”

Katy smiled and shook the woman’s hand. She winked and then pulled an overly fake voice. “Yes, I can’t believe I was saddled with these heathens! Seriously,” she pointed at Edward, “this one snores  _ and _ he’s short!”

“ _ Who you calling short?! I’ll break down your legs and stick them on your head! _ ”

Katy cracked up laughing and dodged the swing. Suddenly Edward was sent careening out of the yard and into the street. She whistled lowly and turned to Izumi. “Ten points to you, he landed face first in a bucket.”

“Brother!” Al called, racing after his fallen sibling.

When Alphonse was kidnapped and Edward went after him, Katy went with Izumi to get the troublesome brothers back. She ended up with a few scratches and bloody knuckles. At Izumi’s request, she didn’t use her alchemy to burn the chimeras or Greed. Although she couldn’t use her flames due to being in such a small space. When the military came every soldier showed her respect but they didn’t comply to her orders. Not that she gave any. She knew that with Fuhrer Bradley around they’d only listen to his orders.

She’d met the man once before at a military function. It was a formal event so Katy had to be dressed up to look the part. As the only female State Alchemist, and a new one at that, she was required to attend. Bradley had mentioned how he was intrigued by having a female alchemist in his ranks and he was excited to see what she could do in a crisis. Katy simply smiled and said she’d do her best like any other soldier. He’d laughed and said he admired her determination and loyalty. There wasn’t much to remember after that.

Armstrong met up with Katy just once when he could. He passed along the news that Maes Hughes had been murdered and asked her not to tell the boys. Then he bid her farewell and left back to Central with the rest of Central’s men. The few weeks following was spent making sure Edward and Izumi healed from their injuries. Ed was the difficult child that wouldn’t sit still and Izumi was the same, but Katy didn’t have the guts to say so.

They left from Dublith back to Rush Valley and met Winry at Mister Garfiel’s automail shop. Ling was an interesting character, literally and figuratively. She’d stayed with him when the brothers, Lan Fan, and Foo went off to fight one another. However, when Ling too left she went back to the automail shop to wait for the Xingese group and eventually the brothers and Winry. Watching Edward get smacked with a wrench was more entertaining than she thought it would be.

There were very few threats between the Xingese people and Edward when Katy finally stepped in and shouted at them while she was trying to get some sleep on the damned train. Although, even without their help she wasn’t able to sleep well. She was too worried that perhaps something had indeed gone wrong on Aiden’s mission to save Maes and the man had actually died. There would be no way to tell by the time she had to go home unless she asked her commanding officer directly, which was very unlikely to happen. And to top it off, she had to leave in only a week! Katy groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Being in Central was no better than being on the train. Each step toward her job was another beat her heart skipped. Ling had wandered off yet again and his two servants in turn left to find him. Normally she would have turned around and waved up at the man standing on top of the train station, but she wasn’t feeling like it and instead followed the brothers. She almost had a small heart attack passing that dreaded phone booth where Maes was supposed to have died. 

“Oh, hey Hawkeye!” Katy cheered, a bright smile on her face as she tackled her friend in a hug. Luckily, the receiving party balanced herself so she didn’t fall. “How are you? It’s been a while.” 

“Oh I’m fine, thank you. Good to see you too, boys.” 

As Ed starting thinking, Katy heard two distinct pairs of footsteps approach. “Hang on,” Ed stated slowly, “if the Lieutenant’s here then so is…”

“Thanks for waiting for us,” a familiar voice intoned. Edward made a rather good impression of a shark as their commanding officers walked around the corner.

When the officers turned the corner, lo and behold, there stood the brothers and her subordinate. Katy returned Aiden's stare with a raised eyebrow of pure boredom. The woman almost grimaced, she still felt guilty about ordering the alchemist away. 

“Yep, the Colonel,” Ed finished.

Mustang looked at them in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting to see them. “Oh, well hello, Fullmetal.”

“Colonel Mustang, what are you doing here in Central?”

“You didn’t hear? I was transferred to this branch last month.” 

“Great,” Ed said less than enthusiastically.

Aiden sighed and shook her head. “So why are you guys here? I thought you were still in Dublith.”

Edward looked Aiden over quickly. He’d met Greed who said he didn’t work with the rest of the Homunculi, which proved true when Fuhrer Bradley killed him. Ed never had the chance to ask Greed if Aiden was one of them. There was no telling which side she was on or if she was on a side at all. But given how many times she’d helped them, whether it be for her own benefit or not, he’d give her the benefit of the doubt.

“We’re doing a little information gathering. After that we thought we’d go see Lieutenant Colonel Hughes later today. Where is he anyway?”

“He’s not here,” Aiden said, her face carefully blank. Katy’s eyes watched her closely.

“He retired to the country,” Mustang added, “and took his wife and daughter with him.” Riza stared at her commander in confusion. Why would he lie when they would figure it out later? “He wanted to take over the family business. So, he’s not here.”

The boys looked genuinely saddened to hear that their favorite soldier-friend had left. Katy simply stared at the ground and didn’t try to correct her superior officers. It’d be a harsh thing to do in front of the boys.

“I see. Well that’s too bad.”

“We were hoping to see him,” Al nodded.

Mustang turned and walked away. He made it only a few steps before he paused, his back still to the boys. “Fullmetal. Watch yourself. Don’t do anything crazy.”

“Hmm? Okay.” He was a bit confused as to why the Colonel of all people would caution him. It wasn’t like the man  _ didn’t _ , he just tended to tell them  _ after _ a dangerous event.

The Colonel continued walking and the two women followed behind him. Katy’s eyes narrowed at the trio, glancing down to Ed then back at Aiden as she watched her walk away. 

“Is he alive?” Katy called in English, so no one other than Aiden understood her, since they spoke Amestrian. 

The brothers stared at Katy in confusion and Mustang and Hawkeye paused to look back in confusion. Aiden was rigid under Katy’s stare. She turned and looked back at her subordinate with wide eyes. Then her eyes went blank as her posture became tense.

“I’ll see you two later,” she said to Mustang and Hawkeye. “I need to speak with my subordinate.” Mustang raised an eyebrow at the word ‘subordinate’; Aiden almost always called her officers by their names. Unless they were in trouble.

“Sure.”

Aiden grabbed Katy’s arm and dragged her through the halls and into her personal office. No one on the team got to greet either woman as they passed them too quickly. She closed the door behind them, locked it, and paused to stand behind her desk. Aiden drew her gun and aimed down the barrel at Katy.

“Who the hell are you?” she snarled.

“First, I’d like to apologize for going through your apartment.” Katy held her hands up in defense for a moment before lounging on the couch. “My name is Katy, and I’m from your world, but I got here a little differently than you did, I’m sure.” 

She raised an eyebrow in curiosity but didn’t lower her gun. “You went through my apartment and now you’re saying you’re from my world. Aside from the fact that we speak the same language there is no proving the fact that we are from the same Earth. As for how I got here… I paid my way via Truth.”

“Well, I came with a portal. As soon as I saw you, I had a feeling you weren’t supposed to be here. Mainly because I never actually saw you in any of the animes. With how close you are to Maes and Roy, you would have been in the series at some point or another.”

Aiden finally lowered her gun. “Okay, fine. We’re both misplaced people of Earth. Answer this: how did you get into my apartment and figure out I was from another world. As far as you could’ve known this may have just been another variation of Fullmetal Alchemist.”

She smirked before disappearing and reappearing in Aiden’s chair. “Like that, miss smarty-pants.” 

“And I thought the ‘Devil’ was just a title,” she stated dryly. 

Katy gasped, a hand on her chest in false shock. “Rude! If anything, I’m a goddess, not a devil! And another thing, I wasn’t exactly ‘misplaced’. My portal wasn’t supposed to go here, it was meant to go to another world. But it’s being fixed and I’ll be leaving in Xerxes, so don’t get your panties in a wad.” 

Yes, Katy was still a smartass. Aiden rolled her eyes and set her gun on the desk. “Don’t be an ass, I’m still your superior in this world. I don’t care if you’re a goddess, a demi-god, or Truth himself. Now answer my question. How’d you figure it out?”

“I saw your journal, period,” she shrugged, grabbing the crackers from her pocket. They were left over from lunch on the train. “Now, miss Wilson, you never answered my question: is he alive?” 

“You mean to say you deconstructed my wall to look at my stuff,” she corrected. Katy didn’t dispute it and she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She reached into the desk and pulled out a piece of paper before scribbling something on it and handing it to Katy. “I’ll direct you to my cabin in the woods.” Aiden holstered her gun and moved around Katy to exit the office. “Try not to die. We’ll talk later.”

“Oh no worries, I’m basically immortal!” she laughed, giving her friend a wink before walking out of the office and into the team office. She opened the window and jumped out, landing gracefully on the grass. Aiden’s cry of alarm rang out as she peered over the ledge, only to glare at her subordinate who gave her a mild heart attack. When Katy looked through the window next to her, Jean was staring right at her with a roll in his hand. She waved, before running off and teleporting into the cabin and on the dining table. 

Maes screeched and threw his knife into her shoulder. “That’s fair. Good to see ya Maes!” When she pulled the blade out of her shoulder, it slowly healed. 

Maes pulled out another knife, “Katy, nice to see you. Are you here to kill me too?”

“No Maes, I am-” she stood on the table, arms stretched out at she took a ‘hero’ pose, “your saviour!” When Katy looked down at him, a sweatdrop went down his face. “You’re no fun, Maes!” she pouted, jumping down from the table. “I was wanting to save you too, but Aiden thought I was a bad guy so she sent me away with the Elrics, but I’m here now.” 

“So Aiden sent you, you say? Prove it.”

Katy looked at the paper in her hand and took a deep breath. "Fear constant exile thatcher."

There was silence as the man lowered the knife. It was one of the code phrases the pair had come up with in case they’d been found out or in case of an emergency. It was a fail safe to make sure Envy wasn’t among them. "Attached fruit printers differ. Alright you have my attention.”

“Well, really I just wanted to say bye because I’ll be leaving. For good, anyhow.” She sounded a bit upset to leave, but there was a look in her eye that said she was ready. 

“I see,” Maes said shortly. “And I suppose Aiden will clear things up for me if I ask?”

Katy nodded. “Yeah, she will. Everything's gonna be over soon, then you can see your girls again, I promise.” She smiled, giving the man a hug. “Oh, and when you see Roy, can you tell him I said he needs to  _ not  _ be a bitch and ask out Aiden? That would be much appreciated.” 

Maes snorted, “Will do.”

* * *

Katy and Edward were baking under the desert sun. There was a good chance of being able to cook an egg on Ed’s automail in five seconds flat. She cursed her superior officer’s way of sending her to Xerxes, fairly certain it was Aiden’s way of payback. In fact, she was sure she could hear her laughter coming from the sun itself.

She and Ed almost cried in relief when they were submerged in the watering hole. Katy had never felt such sweet relief.

“Who’s idea was it to bring the kid and lady?” Foo asked.

Breda was the one to answer. “It was a direct order.”

The two climbed out of the pool and wrung their clothes in satisfaction. The ruins hadn’t changed any since last she’d been there, not that she expected them to.

“So,” Edward said, looking at the fallen ancient city around him, “this is Xerxes, huh? Looks just like the fable described it.”

Foo spun around. “Did you say a fable?”

“Yeah,  _ ‘The Eastern Sage’ _ . It’s a story about the origin of alchemy in Amestris. It claims the entire kingdom of Xerxes was destroyed in a single night. And that the only survivor wandered into Amestris shortly afterwards. He was the one who went on to spread the science of alchemy.”

“How interesting. We have a similar legend in Xing about a drifter from the West. It’s said that his teachings were combined with our ancient techniques to form the Alkahestry we practise today.”

Katy’s mind instantly translated the stories into her known history of the land. The Eastern Sage was Father, the man who founded Amestris and introduced alchemy to the people and military. The Western Sage, Hohenheim, was the one to wander into Xing and teach the people how to heal with alchemy. She wasn’t sure when the Dragon’s Pulse reading came in, but it was obviously a big part of the Xingese culture.

“Alkahestry is primarily used for medical needs, isn’t it?”

“Yes. He guided this process, and we greatly revere him. We know him as the Western Sage.” Foo turned and began walking further into the ruins. “Come, we must continue forward.”

Breda stared at the ruins surrounding them as they walked. “So the West in his title is supposed to refer to  _ here _ ?”

Katy nodded and shrugged. “I don’t see why not, it makes sense. Amestris wasn’t even formed by the time these men traveled. They’d be about forty years too early for that.”

Edward turned to her in surprise. “How would you know that?”

“Easy. Amestris was founded 1550, whereas records of Xerxes being destroyed showed up almost half a century earlier. I’m a State Alchemist too Edward, it’s not that hard to pick up a book,” she said with a knowing look. 

Then she tuned out the rest of the conversation and instead took in the scenery. Somehow being in ruins made her at peace, even if said ruins only ended up that way due to genocide. They were morbidly beautiful. She made a note of the location of the transmutation circle responsible. The castle was still in one piece and its shadow was used to take refuge from the sun.

“Edward!” a female voice called.

Katy turned in time to see Maria Ross come bounding down the Xerxes ruins. She grinned when Edward chuckled. “That damned Colonel,” he laughed.

Major Armstrong burst into tears and, as if were tradition, shed his top. He declared loudly how he missed her when he thought she was dead and chased the woman in hopes of hugging her. The rest of the group watched from a distance, most of them with a smile on their faces.

“There wasn’t really any place in Amestris we could safely hide a dead girl,” Breda explained. “Especially one that’s still alive, you know?”

“So the Colonel and Aiden knew that Lieutenant Ross was innocent all along?” Edward asked.

Breda went on to explain how Mustang and Aiden created a plan to rescue the innocent woman. They migrated to a shadowed area and sat in a circle to fully explain the story to Edward and Armstrong. Katy interjected at some points with her ideas and how she was involved in the entire affair. 

“I still think we could’ve hid her in Central,” she repeated. “ _ ‘The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It’s the last thing they’ll expect’ _ . Haven’t you heard that saying?” Katy suddenly halted her mind process. Aiden was working off of a plan used in another series entirely. She sweatdropped. “Okay, nevermind.” Her boss was a lunatic.

Foo sighed and continued the story. “After madam Ross was prematurely freed, the Young Lord made a deal with Barry the Chopper. The orders I’ve been given are to personally escort this woman to the East to take refuge.”

“So we all agreed to rendezvous here, in one big effort to aid the Lieutenant’s escape,” Breda finished.

“I see,” Armstrong said.

Edward slumped in disappointment. “You’ve gotta be joking. I can’t believe they were able to pull one over on us like this.”

“He knew it’d be easier to convince you if you actually saw Lieutenant Ross.”

“Fine, I’ll admit it alright? The Colonel actually knew what he was doing this time. It may have also just been Aiden coming up with everything.”

“He mentioned something else. He said he didn’t want to take a chance on some hot tempered kid endangering the operation. So he sent you out here,” Breda laughed.

“ _ Hot tempered kid? _ ” Edward raged.

Katy splashed water in his face from her canteen. “Cool it, Sharkboy.” His response was an irritated glance at the woman. She grinned and didn’t regret her actions.

“You said  _ ‘operation’ _ ,” Alex steamrolled over the pair’s actions. “Is there a phase  _ beyond _ liberating Lieutenant Ross?”

“Indeed. He’s got a plan to reel in the puppeteer, the one that’s behind the conspiracy. You remember Barry from the fifth lab, right?” he asked Edward. “He went on one hell of a rampage. They’re bound to send someone to reclaim him.”

The people in the know went on to explain what they knew about the Homunculi group. Edward said that each of the people had an ouroboros tattoo somewhere on their body; Greed had one on his hand, Lust’s was on her chest, and Envy’s was on his thigh. Aiden’s was on her wrist. Armstrong had drawn out the figures in question along with the ouroboros tattoo and the human transmutation circle. Breda was thoroughly shocked when Armstrong and Edward mentioned Aiden 

“I’ve got nothing to do with this. Zilch. And yet here I am stuck in the middle of it, and framed by Homunculi,” Maria moaned helplessly.

“Yeah… sorry about that,” Katy apologized. “You kinda just drew the short stick on this one.”

“We’ve collected a fair amount of intelligence,” Breda said. “And once we piece it together, we’ll have the General’s killer.”

“Well before you go on,” Katy spoke, “you can’t put Aiden in the same group as the rest of these people. Her tattoo is only just a tattoo, and in the book I read about them, it said homunculi couldn’t perform alchemy.”

“Still though, her actions are questionable,” Edward replied. Then he drew a question mark in the sand under her picture.

“I don’t think that someone who asked me everyday if I was eating enough is responsible for Hughes’ death,” Maria defended.

“I promise Lieutenant, we will absolve you of this crime,” Armstrong vowed.

“Lieutenant Colonel… I mean General Hughes,” Ed corrected, “it’s just hard to accept that he’s gone.” Katy looked skyward and did her best not to spill the beans from that particular can.

“And what shall you do now, Edward Elric?”

“Al and I committed a taboo. We still have people that help us. Some people get angry at us, others support us silently. Each one of them has tried to help me keep my promise to my brother.” He gripped his automail wrist. “So I have no choice, I can’t turn back. Which means, all I can do is move forward, right? I refuse to let another person become a victim, not while I’m alive. I know that’s a hard promise to keep. It’s hard enough just trying to take care of myself. I think that I’m even capable of it. I’m just arrogant. But… it’s the only thing I can think of. So I have to do it. I have to.”

The group was silent for a moment as they listened to Edward’s words. Breda and Ross smiled at him. Armstrong looked to his subordinate. “And you Lieutenant, where do you intend to seek asylum?” he asked.

“Well, I think that I’m gonna give Xing a shot.”

The afternoon passed into evening and the group gathered to see Lieutenant Ross off.

“Any parting wishes?” Armstrong asked. “Shall I tell your parents?”

Maria smiled and shook her head. “No, sir. As much as I want them to know I’m okay, I’m scared it will be too much of a risk. I just don’t want to put them in that kind of danger.”

“Very well.”

“Major Armstrong, Lieutenant Breda, Major Erwin, please deliver a message to the Colonel and the Lieutenant Colonel. I need them to know how grateful I am to how much they’ve done. If there’s any way I can help them, tell them to send for me.” She stood straight and saluted. “I owe them a great debt and I am willing to put my life on the line to repay it.”

The soldiers saluted in return, Katy more out of habit and respect for the woman than anything. “Can do.”

Edward sighed and went to salute as well but Maria walked forward and stopped him. She smiled and held out a hand. “Goodbye, Edward. Take care of yourself, okay?”

Ed smiled weakly. “I still owe you for that slap.”

“You can get me next time.” Edward took her hand.

The groups parted ways and they watched as Maria became a small dot in the distance. When the group started to leave, Katy admired them, taking in their details as she removed her gloves, shoving them in her pockets with a sigh.

Armstrong was the first to notice the girl’s absence, nudging the boy’s shoulder to keep him from walking any further. “Look,” he whispered, looking back to Katy and watching her. She seemed emotional, and he had no idea why. This was supposed to be a happy moment, wasn’t it? 

“Katy? Aren’t you coming?” Ed furrowed his eyebrows as Katy flashed him a smile, a tear rolling down her face. 

“No, Ed. I’m afraid I won’t be seeing you again,” she walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know how long it’ll be, and it might be never, so this is goodbye, my friend.” She pulled him into a hug, which he hesitantly returned. When she pulled away, she gave him another smile and ruffled his hair a bit. “You’re gonna do great things, kid.” 

Lieutenant Breda held out a hand for her to take. “We all know you’ll miss me the most. Ain’t that right?”

Katy snorted and nodded, shaking her comrades hand. “Always Breda. Do tell Jean that he still looks like a horse for me, will you?” A nod was her answer and she turned to Armstrong. She gave him a hug as well. “Give a message to Aiden for me. Tell her E.T. had to phone home, okay?” 

“Of course miss Erwin. I’m sure she’s going to miss you, I hope you know that,” the man replied, giving her shoulder a light squeeze before she stepped away. 

“I know, I’ll miss her too, all of you.” She sighed, checking her watch: two minutes. “Alright, you need to get going. If you want, come up with some badass story for my disappearance. Like I died fighting thirty assassins or something.” She smiled again, the three men huffing a laugh at her comment before saying their final goodbyes, again. 

The two minutes were up and luckily they were far enough away when the portal opened. Katy smiled at the flashing lights in front of her. She had done something great for the country, something that could help in wars if needed. When she walked through, she was greeted with an entire room cheering for their leader’s return. 

“Hey Guys! Good to see ya!” Katy’s smile lit up the room more than it already was. “Did you all behave while I was gone?” 

“We tried, Sergeant Major. Good to see you,” Kyoya smiled. He actually smiled, not a smirk, a full on smile. Katy felt privileged to be on the receiving end.

“You too, Kyoya.” She shook his hand before looking around the room for her dragon. “Where is Hestia?” 

“She hasn’t been allowed in the lab after the incident. She’s the size of a large dog now, so she’s out in the training field destroying the dummies.” 

Katy chuckled, nodding in understanding at his answer. As she left, she told the staff to take the rest of the week off for their hard work, which they cheered for, again. As she walked to the training grounds, everyone was saying hello left and right. The usual five minute walk almost took twenty. She finally reached the huge open field, a few explosions going off in the distance, dummies flying into the air shortly after. By the color of the explosion, it was obviously her dragon. 

“Hestia!” she called in her thoughts. Instantly, a head popped up from behind the short wall. The green eyes of the dragon took only a moment to land on her rider, a small roar coming from her as she flew to Katy. 

“Katy! Oh I’ve missed you so much!” she called back, tackling Katy to the ground and licking her face repeatedly, only stopping when Katy made a disgusted noise from all of the slobber. 

“It’s good to see you too, Hestia. You’ve grown,  _ and learned how to talk _ !” Katy chuckled, snapping her fingers and she was clean again. “I have to go, but I’ll see you later, okay?” 

With a groan, Hestia nodded, rubbing on her rider one more time before Katy left to go back home. And with that, Katy’s trip through the land known as Amestris had come to an end. The portal was up and running, ready to take anyone through. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies! Well, this is a long ass chapter. Don’t worry, the next one will be shorter :) Hope you enjoyed my crossover with SKOMO (Soldier Keep On Marching On). The story is Lumos' fanfic about Fullmetal Alchemist and her OC, so go check it out!   
> ~K-The-Queen
> 
> This entire thing was basically written by me because as we kind of just agreed, FMAB is my domain even if this is her story. Apparently I’m the all-knowing fan of Fullmetal Alchemist. Who knew right? Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed! (I totally spelled Fu wrong and she doesn't even know it.)  
> ~ Lumos2000


	12. I Can't Wait To Tell This Story To My Grandchildren

A few months had passed, and it was now Katy’s fifteenth birthday. After celebrating at home and telling her mom she’d be going to sleep, she really traveled to the fictional world to spend the rest of the evening and wee hours of the morning with her friends there. 

"So... What the hell is this, Katy?" Sam Winchester asked, standing in front of some sort of futuristic archway in the middle of one of the courtyards with guards watching it 24/7. His wife Kate stood next to him, curious about the archway in front of her. The portal was on a platform, all made of metal. A control panel stood on the right-hand side. Sam stood with his arms crossed, a confused look on his face as he glanced down at the excited and confident women to his left. 

Katy had apparently been busy for the past month, finishing up the tests on her portal. She wanted to take extra time to run tests after that last mishap before moving it and showing it to Sam and Kate. Sam hadn't seen her the entire time, but after speaking to her assistant, it seems she hadn't left the base. Not once. Her face was brightened by her confidence.

"It's a portal, you idiot," she teased, pushing him playfully. "With this, anyone who knows the codes can go to different places. Within reason, of course." 

Katy walked up to the platform and typed in a code. After she did, the inside of the archway started to spiral with different shades of blues and purples. A few minutes passed before the light at the top stopped flashing red and switched to a solid green. 

"Where the hell do you think you're taking me?" Sam stepped back, refusing to let any fear show on his face, knowing the woman wouldn't let him live it down. 

Kate chuckled, pushing her husband forward a little. “Come on, honey! Let's see where she takes us!” she exclaimed, a huge smile on her face. “I think it looks awesome Katy. where are we going?” The woman had a death grip on her husband's arm, the man groaning a bit. It was obvious he didn’t want to go. 

Katy smiled, chuckling at the pair. Oh, was she glad that the ship sailed. “Thank you for asking, Kate. And the answer to _both_ of your questions, even though they’re the same, is Thedas. Now, are you coming or not? I want you to meet everyone." She smiled, standing a bit off to the side with her arm out, offering for them to go first. A slight breeze blowing her hair as she waited patiently for them. "Unless the big bad monster hunter is afraid, Sam?" she teased, chuckling slightly. 

Sam scoffed, brushing off the comment. He took Kate’s hand tightly, then Katy’s, and drug them through the portal. When they reached the other side, they stood of a cliff side overlooking the Hinterlands.  

Sam had let go of the women’s hands at this point and crossed his arms, a smug look on his face, "See? I told you I wasn't afraid." And yet the man spoke too soon. 

A large gust of wind went over them and their ears filled with the sound of a dragon screech from above. As soon as Sam noticed it, he shrieked almost as high pitched as the dragon, throwing himself on the ground and looking up at it with wide eyes. 

"What the hell Katy?" he exclaimed, his heart racing as he looked to the two women laughing at his reaction. 

"I thought you said you weren't afraid?" Kate asked, crossing her arms. The dragon’s screech certainly surprised her, but with Hestia being full grown now, it didn’t necessarily scare her. 

"You never said there would be dragons!" the man exclaimed, jumping back on his feet and away from the cliff, his breathing shallow and quick. 

"You didn't ask," Katy laughed, shaking her head a bit. "Now come on. Let's get you a change of pants." 

Sam groaned at his wife’s laughter, but he obviously loved it when she laughed. “So now that I can actually breathe, why are we here exactly?” Katy was in the front, leading the two down the steep makeshift walkway. 

“Oh! It’s my birthday today, so I wanted to come and celebrate it with the group here, and bring you two with me.” Katy flashed a smile to them, hopping down a little cliff and helping the other two. 

“Katy, you never told us about your birthday before…” Kate furrowed her eyes a little bit, crossing her arms once she was down the cliff. “How come you never told us before?” she was a little hurt that Kay hadn’t told them. She’s known them for years, so why not tell them? 

Katy shrugged as they made it to the horses, Katy hopping on the paint. “Honestly, there isn’t a reason. I’m just always so busy here that I didn’t really find time to celebrate with y’all.” The other two followed Katy down the road on their horses. The couple looked to one another and shrugged, that was the end of their conversation. 

After about five minutes of actually riding, they went from this countryside town to a snowy bridge in the mountains with a castle close in front of them, both Kate and Sam gasping a bit from the sudden change in temperature. “Sorry, this will should help.” Katy chuckled at their reactions, snapping her fingers and changing all of their clothes to a more renaissance look with fur pelts to keep them warm. 

 

* * *

 

As they approached, two guards stood at the front of the gate, both gripping the hilt of their blades. The taller, and more than likely older guard, was the one to speak up. “State your business, strangers!” 

Katy groaned, stepping off her horse and leading it towards the guards without a sense of intimidation. The younger guard, feeling a little nervous, drew his blade and pointed it at her throat, only a couple inches away. 

“Ka-” Kate began to get off her horse and Sam gently grabbed her arm, shaking his head at her. They didn’t know these people, so they needed to trust Katy’s judgement and let her handle the situation. 

Katy glared at the young guard who practically trembled in front of her. Even though he had the upper hand, he was afraid of her. “Iro,” was all she stated, the elder’s eyes widening. 

“Boy! Stand down! This woman is one of the goddesses!” the elder guard snapped, pushing down the younger’s blade. “I do apologize for our ignorance, your grace.” He signaled the guard manning the gate to open up and let them in. “Send someone to inform the Inquisitor immediately! Tell her Iro has arrived.” Another guard replied with the typical ‘yes sir!’ and did as he was told. 

“Hop down, you two. We’ll lead our horses the rest of the way.” Katy smiled back to her friends and then looked back to the guard as the two got off. “Lead the way, kind sir.” And that he did. 

As they walked through the short tunnel, they looked around to see multiple sets of stairs on their left. One lead up and underneath another set of stairs that presumably lead up to the throne or dining hall, judging by the size and flags on either side of the double doors. On their right and above their two o’clock, there was a little bridge leading from the main building to a smaller one on the battlements. More eye level, there was a beaten up barn and some merchant tables. 

“Ma’am? May we take your horses from you please?” a young female soldier asked with a kind smile on her face. There was another standing close behind her, but they seemed to be new and a bit shy. 

Katy returned the kind smile, all three passing off their horses to the two. “Yes, that would be much appreciated.” 

“Ma’am? You’ve been here before, I assume?” the elder guard leading them questioned, holding his helmet in his hands. 

“You’d be correct. I can find the Inquisitor from here, thank you,” Katy responded, motioned for Sam and Kate to follow her up the set of stairs under an archway. 

As they stepped up, a woman with shoulder length red hair, tan pants, and a royal blue shirt came walking down the stairs above them from the main building. Beside her, a man with golden hair, armor, and a red and black tinted fur resting across his shoulders followed. 

When Katy’s group reached the end of the stairs, in front of them was a two, maybe three, story building with dummies outside; the armory. On the right of that, behind a tall tree, was a door that lead down to the dungeon. On their left, was a wooden building that was also three stories. It must have been the tavern, judging by the chatter and music.

“Katy! Oh, it’s been too long!” The red-haired woman’s wonderful British accent, at least that was the only way Katy could describe it, came from their seven. 

When Katy turned to greet her friend, she was surprised by the hug she received from the woman. When she pulled away, Kate and Sam could see the woman’s piercing golden-yellow eyes. 

“Good to see you too, Gwen,” Katy chuckled, a small smile on her face as she gave the man in armor a playful wink. “I’d like to introduce you to my King and Queen.” Katy stepped aside, ‘presenting’ Sam and Kate. “This is Kate and Sam Winchester, rulers of Othos. You guys, this is Guinevere Travelyan, the Inquisitor, and Cullen Rutherford, the commander of her forces.” 

The four shook hands after introductions before being interrupted by _another_ couple coming down the stairs. The new pair, dressed in royal clothing, were the King and Queen of this land, which was Ferelden. Both were part of an order called the Gray Wardens a few years ago and ended up saving the realm from a dragon, but that’s another story. Their names are Alistair and Arwen Theirin, and they are probably the goofiest couple, and rulers, you’ll ever meet. 

“So, Katy, what brings you here today?” Guinevere, or Gwen asked, clasping her hands in front of her during the conversation. 

Katy blushed a little, the smile still on her face. “Well, I was hoping to celebrate my birthday here with you all… if you have the time, that is.” 

Gwen’s face instantly lit up and she giggled like a child on Christmas morning. “Oh Maker’s breath,” Cullen mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew this reaction all too well.

Gwen quickly grabbed the horn she used to get everyone’s attention, blowing as hard as she could. Almost instantly, everyone stopped their daily chores and gave their attention to their leader. Soldiers and guests in the tavern even stopped to walk out and see what she had to say. As everyone gathered, she ran up the stairs to the small platform halfway up, skipping a few stairs with each step. 

“I need everyone’s attention please!” She called, taking an excited hero pose. “Today is the Goddess Iro’s birthday, and we need to make it the best one Ferelden has ever seen! It needs to top the royal family’s parties! The Free Marches need to hear the music from across the ocean! We need to run out of all the wine we have in stock! We need to make it big enough that the Maker and his bride, Andraste hear us from the heavens!” 

Everyone around cheered, taking Gwen’s words to heart. “Oh heavens,” Katy groaned, covering her face with her hands. Why must she always be over the top? 

“Now get that woman in the tavern and drinking! And start a round of wicked grace!” Gwen cheered again, skipping down the stairs to meet her party. 

Alistair, who is the weirdest of them all, threw Katy over his shoulder, which made her scream. As he ran towards the tavern in a cheer, Katy begged for help from her friends, but to no avail. Arwen sighed at her husband's actions, but this was normal for him. 

“Come now, friends, lighten up a bit and enjoy the party.” Arwen smiled, leading Sam and Kate to the tavern. 

“This is going to be interesting,” Sam mumbled.

“No kidding,” Kate agreed, letting a smile slip onto her face.

Hours had passed and the main party was already hammered, Katy most of all. Drinks had been served up immediately to the guests of honor.

“Katy? What the -" he hiccuped, "- hell are you doing?” Sam mumbled, taking another sip of his ale as Katy stood on the bar for a musical number. “Hey! Goddess Iro is gonna sing for us!” Sam cheered, now realizing why she was up there. Everyone now cheered as Katy prepared to sing. 

_“I am flesh and I am bone,_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold,_

_I’ve got fire in my soul,_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter!”_

The room started humming and lightly stomping their feet, causing a more quiet melody as she continued. 

_“Like glitter and gold.”_

The beat continued before switching slightly to the stomping without the hum. 

_“Do you walk in the valley of kings?_

_Do you walk in the shadow of men who sold their lives to a dream?”_

The stomping was louder, now joined by their mugs on the table. 

_“Do you ponder the manner of things,_

_In the dark?_

_The dark, the dark, the dark!”_

The hum was now reintroduced to the beat as she continued. 

_“I am flesh and I am bone,_

_Arise, ting ting, like glitter and gold,_

_I’ve got fire in my soul_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter!_

_Like glitter and gold,_

_Like glitter!”_

The humming stopped and silence reigned supreme. Until her voice shattered the glass.

_“Do you walk in the meadow of spring?_

_Do you talk to the animals? Do you hold their lives from a string?_

_Do you ponder the manner of things?_

_In the dark?_

_The dark, the dark, the dark!_

_I am flesh and I am bone,_

_Arise, ting ting, like glitter and gold,_

_I’ve got fire in my soul,_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter!_

_I am flesh and I am bone,_

_Arise, ting ting, like glitter and gold,_

_I’ve got fire in my soul,_

_Rise up, ting ting, like glitter!”_

The humming stopped and the pounding got quiet, the sound of people making a gasping sound to the beat replaced it. 

_“‘Cause everybody in the backroom’s spinnin’ out,_

_Don’t remember what you’re askin’ for?_

_And everybody in the front room’s trippin’ out,_

_You left your bottle at the door,”_

Everyone joined in to repeat the four lines, finishing the song. There was more to it, but Katy felt it would be a good place to end. When she did, everyone cheered as she gave a small bow.

“Another round of drinks for the next song!” she cheered, thrusting her mug into the air in a cheer. She sang one more, ‘The Trooper and The Maid’, a song she'd learned from Assassin’s Creed, with Kate, Gwen, and Arwen joining her on top of the bar to do a little dance together. 

The group danced and partied the night away, laughing and giggling with the alcohol in their systems.  Somehow, the main party wasn’t out cold when the moon's time ticked by to signal the arrival of two in the morning. With everyone else gone except for them, they decided to play a few rounds of Wicked Grace, a favorite in Ferelden.  

“Katy! Why don’t you tell us a story? I’m sure a goddess like you has a lot of stories to tell,” Alistair giggled, practically laying the top half of his body on the table. 

Katy grinned and matched the man’s laugh. “Alright, Alistair. If you insist.” As the game persisted, Katy went on to tell a story about how she pranked another god but if she named the person he would probably smite her from the other universe. It was Zeus. Still, she never named the man.

“Wait, you _actually_ ended up stripping him and putting a goat in bed with him while he slept?” Gwen questioned, earning a head nod from her friend. That was all she needed to bust out laughing at the story. “Maker’s breath! That’s priceless!” 

The stories and games continued, and they all eventually ended up blacking out in the tavern. Katy was the first one to wake up groaning from her throbbing head. This was the last time she’d drink like that for a _long_ time. Her back was cold from sleeping on the wooden floor in the nude, and when she noticed she almost screeched. Luckily, a certain Inquisition Commander had draped his cloak on her and used a potato sack for his own blanket. The others were sprawled out in various places around the table, but Katy and Cullen were the only ones naked. 

“Sam, wake up!” she called, kicking him a little. He didn’t hear her call, but when she kicked him he jumped up, attention on her. 

“What? What’s wrong?” 

“Why the hell are Cullen and I naked!” she whispered, clinging to the cloak around her and shivering at the breeze.

Sam chuckled before groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose. He hadn’t been this hungover for years, and it wasn’t something he was super happy happened again. “You don’t remember?” 

“No! Obviously that’s why I’m asking.” 

“Well, you lost a round of Wicked Grace to Alistair and Cullen had given you his cloak before anything could be seen. Then he lost the last round to Arwen and the same thing happened to him.” 

“Why our clothes, though? We were gambling.” 

Sam shrugged, yawning as he spoke. “All I know is that you lost and your clothes are on the bar.” 

She looked over to the bar to see a couple soldiers passed out still and her clothes on the other end of the table, right next to Cullen’s armor. She sighed and snapped her fingers, making both of their clothes go back onto the owners. The sound of the snap throbbed and echoed through her ears. Not only was she currently sensitive to light, but apparently sound too. 

 

* * *

 

Katy, Sam, and Kate had all stayed at Skyhold until after dinner. Alistair and Arwen were the ones to leave soon after waking up, only because they had a long journey ahead of them. Katy’s group ended up taking a tour of Skyhold even though Katy already knew it like the back of her hand, and got to know the main members of the Inquisition and how Katy came into play. 

“It was great meeting the two of you.” Gwen smiled as the three got on their horses. “Come back again to visit us soon, okay? And Katy, don’t be a stranger, we’ve missed you.” The woman chuckled, patting Katy’s horse as she spoke. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll see you again soon. Stay safe!” Katy waved before kicking her horse into a gallop, Kate and Sam just behind her. Once again, they went from the Skyhold bridge to the Hinterlands where the portal was. Once they were back through the portal, they all gave a soft sigh. 

“Welcome back,” the guard currently on duty bowed, smiling a little. He could tell they had been drinking. Not just by their appearance, but they reeked of alcohol. “I trust your trip was well spent?” 

Katy laughed, snapping her fingers and changing the three of them back into their normal attire. “We will not be speaking of the events from last night. But yes, it was well spent, I think.” 

“Both of you better not tell Dean.” Sam pointed at both Kate and Katy with a warning look in his eye, lighthearted but serious. 

“Oh honey, I wouldn’t dream of doing that to you!” Kate replied, a hand on her chest. She was being a sarcastic little ass, something she, sadly for Sam, must have learned from Katy or Dean. 

Sam narrowed his eyes, groaning at the response. If it was going to happen, it would happen and Sam would _never_ live it down. Dean would probably put in his will that Sam’s headstone would tell the events of the night prior. When he thought about it, it was honestly a little funny to picture. 

“So, Katy. What are you gonna do now? Go back home for a bit?” Kate questioned. 

“Yeah, probably.” 

She nodded in response but stayed quiet. “Sam? Would you go check on Castiel, please? I’m sure Mary is ready for a break.” 

He nodded and gave Katy a hug goodbye before leaving, the two women walking alongside each other as they headed for the exit. 

“Did you have something you wanted to talk about?” Katy asked, looking over at her friend who wore seriousness. 

“I’d like you to consider taking over as queen for me.” 

Katy stopped in her tracks, Kate stopping a couple of steps in front of her. “What did you just ask me?” 

“I’d like you to consider-” 

“I heard you. Why? I made this for you, do you not want it anymore?”  Katy seemed a little hurt by the question. 

Kate froze in alarm for a split-second and then shook her head quickly. “No! I love it, Katy. The only thing is that I don’t feel like a good queen. I would be better suited as Sergeant Major, not the queen of a country.” 

“So you want to switch?” 

“Precisely.” Katy sighed, looking away for a moment. Some time went by in silence so Kate spoke up again. “It’s just something I’d like you to consider. I don’t need an answer right away.” 

Katy nodded, turning back to Kate with a forced smile. “Of course, Kate. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll think about it.” 

Kate’s face brightened and she gave Katy a bear hug, thanking her profusely. “Enjoy your time at home!” With that, the two women parted ways and Katy headed home. She had something important to think about and knew it wouldn’t be a quick decision. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was a fun chapter! And it only took me like, two days after finishing the last chapter! Hope y’all enjoyed and I’ll see you later!  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> It took me so damn long to edit this due to procrastination. And this thing isn't even that long.  
> ~ Lumos2000


	13. This Is Our Fairy Tail

“Mom! Big bro! I’m headed to the guildhall,” Emilia called to her family inside their ranch house. They bred most of the horses in Magnolia, and they just so happened to be wizards in the infamous Fairy Tail guild. 

“Bye dear! Good luck with that job request today!” Emilia’s mother, Tori called back as she washed dishes from their breakfast. Her brother didn’t respond, which was usual for his broody self. 

Her strawberry blond hair blew with the breeze as she ran down the streets of Magnolia and townsfolk called their hellos as she passed by. She and many of her friends have grown up in this town and with the guild, so everyone has become one big family at this point. 

Emilia approached the hall and heard fights happening from within, which was actually a normal occurrence around the place. “Gray! Where are you?” she called. Gray Fullbuster was a fellow guildmate that she happened to be dating for a few months now, much to her brother’s disapproval. Said man was currently butting heads with his friend Natsu, a pink-haired hotheaded dragon slayer. The two throwing pitiful insults at one another in a desperate attempt to win the fight. 

“Flame brain!”

“Ice princess!” 

“You wanna try backing off of my girl? She may be a fire wizard but you can’t have her!” 

“You must be a complete idiot if you think I’m hitting on her, Gray!” 

Gray growled, pushing back against Natsu even harder, casting an ice-make spell to form a sword in his hand. “Now you’re saying you  _ wouldn’t _ hit on her! You must have a death wish!” 

Emilia sighed at their banter, pushing between the two, a hand on each of their faces to keep them away from one another. Their eyes widened and they mumbled a groan in response. “That’s enough, boys! We have a job request to go on, remember?” 

One Emilia removed her hands. They both groaned and crossed their arms, pouting with their backs to the woman. “I remember,” the two said in unison. 

With a sigh of relief, she turned around and instantly spotted another two of her friends. She trotted over to them as they sat at one of the tables. 

“Erza! Lucy! You guys all packed up?” Emilia asked, a bright smile on her face as she draped an arm across both ladies’ shoulders. Erza, the scarlet-haired woman who always wore armor, and Lucy, the blonde with a habit of getting her clothes almost  _ completely _ torn off during  _ every  _ battle, both smiled to their friend and responded with a yes. 

After Emilia’s routine of greeting all her friends and guildmates finished, the group of teenagers gathered their things and left on a quest a few towns away. A small dark guild was causing trouble for the town and the mayor put up a large sum of money as a reward for whoever took care of them. 

 

* * *

 

Over the past year, Katy, who was now 16, did more experimenting with the portal and added upgrades. During the summer, there had been a point where she had a very strange faze with Sam. She got a little clingy, hugging him with every opportunity she had and quietly thanking him. The first day that the faze started, she hugged him for a solid five minutes crying tears of joy. When questioned why she responded with: “The you back home gave me peace. I couldn’t do this there, so I wanted to come hug you.” The good thing was that this strengthened her relationship with Sam and Kate, helping them learn a little bit more about her. 

A couple of months after that faze, she mainly worked in the library and traveled to different worlds in the search for an answer on her scar, but she never told anyone that part, only that it was personal business. The worlds she went to had some degree of healing magic which was how she found herself with our little guild mentioned only a few moments ago.

Katy was currently at a little outdoor restaurant close to the guild, having some snacks to kill some time until the group had left. 

“Erza! That’s more luggage than the whole train can carry!”

“And?” 

“We’re gonna be gone for like, three days.” 

The conversation continued between Lucy and Erza as they strolled down the street, but soon they were out of earshot and Katy waltzed on into the guild 

“Hello, miss! How may I help you today?” Mirajane asked in her usual sweet tone, hands clasped in front of her as she gave a smile to Katy. 

Katy smiled in return to the girl. “Hi Mira! I just need to talk to Makarov. Is he here?” Before Mira could even respond, Katy spotted the tiny master sitting on the bar, drinking and talking with Cana, the guild’s heaviest drinker. “Sorry to leave, Mia.” Katy patted the girl's shoulder, Mira stumbling a goodbye as Katy walked off. 

“Gramps! Long time no see,” Katy chuckled a bit as she walked up to him, the old man spitting out his drink onto Cana who stared at him with disbelief before laughing and going to clean herself off. 

“Iro? What the hell are  _ you _ doing here?” Makarov stood on the bar’s counter, making him a little taller than Katy who stood in front of him. 

“Well, I was hoping to get your help, if you didn’t mind.”

“With what? I would think it would be the other way around.” 

Katy huffed a laugh, shaking her head no. “Nah, but I’d be happy to help if you ever need me. Although right now, I was hoping you had any books that might help me figure out why the scar on my face is the only one I can’t conceal.” 

“How’d you get it?” 

“Another god named Loki gave it to me while I was fighting him.”  

Makarov hopped down from the bar and gestured for Katy to follow him to the guild’s library. “Well, have you been hurt by a god before? Maybe it’s just when gods hurt each other.” 

“I thought of that already, but no. I’ve been hurt by another before and I can conceal that scar.” 

He hummed, scratching his beard. The conversation continued with a couple more questions before he left Katy in the library for as long as she needed then headed back upstairs. People were questioning who she was and what she was doing here, mainly Mira since Katy knew her by name yet they have never met beforehand. 

Days had passed and Katy had never left the library, or at least to the guild’s knowledge. She did, in fact, stay there for two days but left that morning, the same day the group would get back. 

They had been successful in taking down the guild and collecting their reward. Lucy ended up being the one to hug the bag all the way back to the guild. When they returned, Erza, Natsu, and Lucy parted ways but Emilia and Gray walked towards the ranch house discussing the job some more. 

The pair got closer and closer to the house, laughing about Natsu’s motion sickness. Emila then stopped in her tracks, switching to a fighting stance with her fists engulfed in flames of blues, greens, reds, and purples swirling around. “Gray, stop moving.” her voice was quiet and stern. 

When Gray turned to look at her, his smile slipped from his face and was replaced by a serious look, using his ice-make magic again to create another sword, looking in the same direction as Emilia. 

The ranch house’s lights were on, a window was broken, and the door busted in. without any more hesitation to examine the situation from afar, Emilia led the way into her house, gasping a little at the sight in front of her. 

Chairs and dishes were broken, papers were scattered, and a couple holes and cracks in the walls. The thing that caught her attention the most was the bloody handprint on one of the legs of the chair.  With closer examination, there was a letter on the table with a knife stuck into it. It was from the guild that they had just taken down. Seems like they were a bigger guild than they had originally thought. 

“What does it say, Emilia?” 

Her breathing was heavy and her body was shaking with emotion. The letter burst into flames and so did her hair as she pushed passed Gray, headed outside. “I’ll burn them all!” 

“Emilia! What happened? Talk to me.” 

“They guild took my family for what we did the other day!” she shouted, turning to face him. She was steaming with anger, letting off so much heat that the ground cracked a little. “I’ll fucking burn them to the bone and enjoy watching, those bastards!” she screamed, turning away again to head to the guild. 

“Emilia!” Gray called, gently taking hold of her hand. Luckily, he had put a strong layer of ice around his hand and forearm so he wouldn’t get burned.  She stopped in her tracks again, making her flames disappear as she looked back at Gray, this time with a look that held more fear than vengeance. “I know you’re scared and worried about them.  We’ll help you get them back but you need to control yourself.” His tone was gentle and his eyes sorrowful. 

Tears slipped from her face and she nodded, taking hold of his hand and they both rushed back to the guild. Bursting through the doors, everyone went quiet for a moment to see who was at the door. “My family has been kidnapped!” quick and straight to the point. 

“What? Tori and Jax are gone?” Mira questioned, worry in her tone. 

“We got back to their house and the place was a mess: papers everywhere, chairs were broken, holes in the wall, blood, and the front door was busted in,” Gray explained, squeezing Emilia’s hand to try and comfort her a little. 

“Well, we’ll get them back! Don’t you worry kiddo!” Mako stood from his seat and slammed his hands on the table. Secretly, he had on Emilia’s mom when they were children that never really went away, but morphed into admiration. 

While everyone talked about plans to save the pair, Emilia snuck away from Gray to find the scarlet woman. “Erza? I have a request.” 

Currently, she was munching away and savoring every bite of her piece of cake. “Yes? Anything.” 

“I want you to teach me your magic.” 

“Right now?” she asked in a surprised tone. Emilia always liked her magic, but she never thought the girl would ask to be taught it. “Why the sudden interest, if I may ask?”

“I’ve always liked it and wanted to learn it. This is the perfect time, especially if it’ll help me save my family.” 

“Wait, so you’re saying you want me to help you master it by the time we find them?” 

Emilia nodded.  Erza sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before smiling a little. “Quite a task you want to accomplish. We better get started, then.” 

During the following week, the group found where the guild’s hall was and prepared to fight. Emilia barely slept or ate, only doing the bare minimum of both. Instead, she spent her time mastering Erza’s magic: Requip magic, that is. To sum it up, it’s like a giant closet that no one can see and only she can access it, whenever she needed to. 

The main party going to fight consisted of Emilia, Gray, Erza, Natsu and Happy, Lucy, Wendy and Carla, Juvia, and lastly, Gajeel and Lily. Of course, the dragon slayers needed their wonderful flying/talking cats with them. 

The tall tower that they came upon was nothing breathtaking, but quite the opposite. It was dark and gloomy, sitting on a little island connected to the mainland. There were many windows, but none with actual glass, just large openings. 

The group charged the tower, most of them casting different spells as they got closer. Erza and Emilia just got one of their swords from the invisible armory, Emilia letting her rainbow flames swirls around the blade. Natsu’s fists were on fire, and Gray’s hands were frozen over to make his punches harder. The others just ran in, prepared to fight.

They hadn’t even reached the doors when wizards started flooding out the doors, each Fairy Tail wizard up against at least two others. 

Finally they had made their way in the doors, splitting up into smaller groups to find the family members. Gray, Emilia, and Erza were a group, Natsu and Happy were another, then Lucy was with Wendy and Carla, and Gajeel was with Lily and Juvia. 

They fought their way up further and further into the tower, but no one had found them yet. Making Emilia come to the conclusion that they were taken to the top of the tower. 

Emilia, Gray, and Erza were the first ones to the top, being greeted by more wizards, the guild’s master, and Emilia’s family being held back with knives to their throats. “Ah! Looks like the Fairies finally made it! Emilia, dear, why don’t you say hello to your family. They’ve missed you,” the master boasted, a large smirk on his face. He found their suffering entertaining and could barely contain himself at the thought of what was to come. 

Emilia growled, the flames around her sword howling as they grew. “Let them go, you bastard! If you wanted revenge, you should have just taken me!”

The master gasped, a hand on his chest in a sarcastic display of fear. “How scary! A little fairy prepared to take us on? We’ll see how that goes when she’s crying and screaming like the child she is!” 

“Don’t hurt her!” Tori and Jax both shouted, trying to force themselves from the grip of the guild members. 

“Oh don’t worry. You two won’t be here to watch,” the master smirked, snapping his fingers. 

For Emilia, time slowed down to an agonizing pace as she watched the scene in front of her, the faint sounds of Erza’s shouts of horror humming in the back of her head. The only sound she heard clearly, was her heart pounding. It even covered the sound of her own screech. The sound of both of their bodies hitting the floor snapped her out of her daze and she instantly ran to her mom and Gray to Jax, pulling him closer to Emilia. 

“Mom! Mom, it’ll be okay!” Emilia’s breathing was quick as she clung to her mom who stared up at her, blood gushing from her neck. “Wendy!” Emilia screamed, looking to the doors in hopes that the little girl would come through. The wet feeling of her mom’s hand gripping her own pulled her attention back down to her mom. 

“I love... you. Emilia.” Tears streamed down the side of her mom’s face as her sentence came out in fragments, but Emilia made out what she was saying. 

Emilia’s own tears fell from her face as she looked between her mom and brother, both with their throats slit. “I love you mom, Jax, I love you. I’m… I’m so sorry,” she reached across her mom, gripping both family members hands. 

Gray had taken off his shirt and held it tight against Jax’s neck in a desperate attempt to save him, but to no avail.

Emilia got to see one last loving look and smile from both her mom and brother before they had their last breath just as the next group came through the doors: Natsu and Happy. The others not far behind them, following the screams up the tower. 

When Natsu ran in, the bloodbath of a scene wasn’t what he expected to see. He was frozen in his tracks for a moment before his anger took over with clenched, flaming fists, and teeth snarled. “You monsters! You’ll pay for this!” he was snapped out of it, if only for a moment, by another scream from Emilia of anger and sadness before the room went quiet, everyone, especially the master, waiting for what she’d do next. 

Growls flooded from her mouth as she slowly stood back to her feet, hair glowing and slightly raised from her flames. “I’m going to butcher you like the pig you are,  _ you bastard! _ ” she screamed, fists clenched as she stood in a fighting position, ready to fight the master himself. 

“Well, little fairy. Come fight me!”  

Within a second, there was a small explosion as her body burst into swirling flames of different colors, sword in hand as she charged the master. Every other fairy tail member attacked their own enemies, the others now present to join the fight. Each one was harder than our friends had expected. Natsu and Erza had finished off their men and were helping the others with their own enemies. 

Emilia and the master were at a standoff, both panting and obviously worn out. “Well, fairy. You’re stronger than I expected.”

“That was your doing, bastard,” Emilia growled, using the rest of her strength to tightly grip her sword, allowing her flames to swirl around it.

The master also gathered his last bit of strength, gripping his sword.  Both parties giving a small battle cry as they charged one another. The other fairies finished with their fights, turning to see the master fall to the ground, Emilia still in her ending stance with her back to her friends. Seeing the master fall, they couldn’t help but cheer for a small moment. 

“Emilia? Are you okay?” Gray asked, narrowing his eyes a little, waiting for her to turn around. His eyes widened, watching in fear as she slowly turned around, stumbling a little bit.

The master’s sword was sticking out of her side, blood dripping down her torso. “Gray,” she called, reaching for him. 

For Gray, this moment felt like it was slow motion. Rushing forward, he reached out to grab her, barely missing her hand and she fell from the window of the tower. When Gray landed on the ground, leaning over the window, he screamed for Emilia, tears falling as she saw her body hit the water down below. 

 

* * *

 

The room was white. No walls, only a floor and the light above her, even Emilia’s clothes were white. The last thing she remembered was falling out of the tower window, reaching for Gray. 

“Ah, good to finally meet you, Emilia.” a woman’s voice echoed, causing Emilia to spin around, prepared to fight if she had to. 

“Who are you?” 

“A friend.” the voice called. It sounded closer now, but there was nowhere in sight that someone could actually be hiding. So where was it coming from? 

“Where am I?”  

“That’s not really a question that I could answer easily.” 

Emilia spun around again, coming face to face with a woman smiling at her. She didn’t seem older than her, she actually looked younger.  Her hair was a bright yellow and up in a ponytail, only her bangs framing her face and caribbean green eyes. She wore Jeans, boots similar to anyone else in town, almost like pirate boots, and a darker purple blouse. “Who are you? And don’t say a friend.” Emilia’s voice was stern, still on guard with this strange woman. 

“I’m known as Iro, the goddess of imagination. But I go by Katy.” 

“And what do you want with me?” 

“Well, you are my god slayer, so I needed to come and ‘unlock’ your powers for you. Are you ready?” 

“What the hell do you mean by god slayer? Like that dude we met on the island?” 

“Precisely. Now get ready, it’ll hurt just a bit.” 

Before Emilia could strike her, Katy had blocked it, placing two fingers on Emilia’s forehead and two on her chest, emitting a blue glow. When the glowing started, Emilia froze in her tracks before letting out a small scream from the pain. The knowledge of certain spells had flashed through her mind, not to mention the enormous amount of power flowing into her. 

Once the last flash of spells and knowledge of Katy went through her head, the pain spreading through her body switched its focus to mainly her torso. The warmth of sunlight shining on her face made Emilia realize she was waking up. She had survived the fall? 

“Emilia? Are you okay?” Gray called, gently giving her hand a small squeeze. After a week in the infirmary, Gray had never left the room, staying right by her side. 

“Gray?” her voice was scratchy and quiet, her eyes slowly opening to look over at Gray. he looked exhausted and pale from malnutrition, but he was overjoyed by the fact that she was going to be okay. 

“Hey sweetheart,” he whispered, tears dripping down his face as he gave her hand a light kiss. “How are you feeling?” 

“I hurt, but I’ll be okay.”

“That’s good to hear.” 

“How am I alive?” 

“Juvia jumped out the window after you, manipulating the water so it would break your fall and not harm you more on impact. You were out cold and had lost a lot of blood, but we stopped the bleeding until we got back to the guildhall.” Gray explained, a few yawns escaping as he spoke. 

“Can I see them?” 

Gray’s eyes darkened with emotion, glancing down at his feet then back up to her. “Em, they di -” 

“I know, Gray. but I want to see them, and my friends. So that they know I’m okay.” 

A slight grin made its way onto Gray’s lips as he nodded, standing from his chair and helping Emilia out of the room to see everyone. 

“Emilia!” everyone cheered, all full of glee that their friend was okay. They all had said their ‘hello’s and ‘get better soon’s, but the girl at the bar, chatting with Makarov, caught her attention. 

“Katy?” 

“Good morning kiddo.” Katy smiled up at her, patting the seat next to her so she’d sit down. 

Of course, Emilia hesitated but sat anyway. “So that dream. Was that all real?” 

Katy nodded, taking another sip of her drink. “Yup. I’ll be training you once everything has settled down, so not to worry.” 

The conversation continued, a few people joining and leaving the conversation as it continued. 

A few months had passed and all of Emilia’s wounds had healed, physically at least. 

Emotionally, it had been extremely hard for her. She got the house sold,  along with most of the houses, and stashed away most of the money for an emergency or something else. She visited the graves almost every day for a few hours, always coming back home with red and puffy eyes from all the crying.

Emilia had secretly been a flame god slayer, Katy being the god. Of course, she never actually slew a god, but according to Katy, had been given the ability.    


“Emilia,” Katy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before hopping off of the rock half-wall. “Try again, but this time you need to focus on the target.” 

“Don’t you think I’m doing that?” she groaned, glaring at Katy for a moment. When her eyes focused on Katy’s she seemed a bit… frustrated. Although it didn’t seem directed towards Emilia. 

Without another word, Katy snapped her fingers, creating an illusion to make the dummy look like the master from the dark guild. “Attack him.” Her tone was cold. 

Emilia’s eyes widened and her whole body started to tremble. Flashes of that day went through her head and it was all she could do not to scream. What kind of sick training was this? After sending another glare to Katy, she dug her heels into the dirt and took a deep breath in. 

_ Fire God Bellow! _

She screamed the chant in her mind as she let out the so-called bellow; flames escaping her mouth in a swirling motion towards the target, making it fall to pieces. Katy’s few claps behind her brought her back to earth. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” she shouted, lunging towards Katy and gripping the collar of her shirt, fist in the air and aimed towards Katy. “Do you think that day is some kind of joke? My whole life was turned upside down!” 

Calmly, Katy removed Emilia’s hand and gently pushed her fist away. “I know, I’m sorry about that. Sometimes people need a push to reach their best selves, not all are okay to deal with.” Her apology was sincere, it was obvious in her eyes. 

“Fine,” she pulled away, crossing her arms with her back to Katy. “Did I do it right?” 

“You did it perfectly, actually. Great job.” Katy smiled, even though it wasn’t seen. “I need to go. Tell everyone I said bye.” Katy gently squeezed Emilia’s shoulder, trying to comfort her a bit. “Good luck kid. Keep up the good work.” With that, Katy’s hand was gone, along with her whole body, of course. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about Fairy Tail so this is all riding on K-The-Queen's shoulders. I'm just the beta.  
> ~ Lumos2000


	14. One Does Not Simply Have A Flashback

Another year had passed and Katy was now seventeen in the real world. She had started her senior year in high school and was preparing for college. It was a given that this coming school year would be stressful. To cope with the stress, she spent quite some time in Othos training her men, visiting with the Winchesters, or visiting others. 

She and Kate had been spending the weekend together, giving the queen and her Sergeant Major a break from all the work they had on their hands. Today, the pair spent their time in the Great Library in the center of town. Katy was currently lounging in one of the chairs, her legs draped over the right armrest and her back against the left. A report about the military in her hands. She was curious what civilians had thought of her leadership.

Kate had gone off to find another book. After almost twenty minutes, she still wasn’t back, but Katy had yet to begin worrying. The woman had a habit of being gone longer for less and she knew her queen could defend herself well.

The sound of Kate’s boots clicking on the hardwood floor drew her attention, but it wasn’t enough to make her look up. “What book did you find?” the girl asked. She didn’t sound completely interested. Most of her attention on her own piece of literature. 

“You never told me Othos used to worship you,” Kate commented, eyes still glued to the book as she looked through. “Before Christianity, we worshiped you. Why’d you let us change?” When she looked up to Katy, the girl was already staring back at her. 

“The people needed the change. I wanted to be able to do things that I cared about,” she began, shifting in her seat so her arms were resting on her legs as she leaned forward, her book now on the coffee table in front of her. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my worshipers and will protect them no matter, but when I left the Circle, it was just too much for me to handle on my own, only being here part time.” 

“Left the circle? What circle?” Kate questioned, sitting in the chair inverse to Katy. 

“Of the gods?” It still didn’t ring any bells for Kate. “Goodness, child. Did you not learn your history? The Greek gods on Olympus!” Finally it clicked, the woman letting out a long ‘oh…’ in understanding, now getting what her General Major meant by ‘the circle’. 

“Why’d you leave?” 

“I don’t talk about it.” 

“Oh, come on! Just give me a summed up version.” 

Katy groaned in frustration, running her fingers through her hair as she stood up. “It’s personal, alright? Hard things to talk about.” She grabbed her bag and keys as she spoke. 

“Wait -” Kate stood, grabbing her friends arm, only for her to pull away. “- Katy I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” 

“Its fine,” she barked, walking away with her hands shoved into her pockets. “It has to do with my husband. I’ll see you later.” That was the last between them for the day, for the whole weekend, actually. 

Later that evening, Katy had gone to Chuck’s ‘bar’ to visit and have a couple drinks to dry and drown her recent nightmares. 

“Katy, you really should talk about these things. This isn’t something you can drink away forever, you know,” Chuck told her, a concerned look on his face as he gently squeezed her shoulder. 

Katy pulled away, her limbs more uncontrolled than usual in her drunken state. She pushed herself off of her chair, stumbling a little as she turned around, throwing her hands as she spoke. “I’ve done it for over two thousand years, Chuck! I must be doing something right,” she slurred, hiccuping as she finished. 

“Katy-” 

“Who the hell am I supposed to talk about these things to anyway? Kate? No! The brothers? No! Who would I talk to, Chuck? I’m alone, like always. Alone to lay in bed and cry from horrors.” Tears fell from her face as she spoke, the girl now sitting at one of the booths with her drink in hand. She sighed, rubbing her face with her free hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s just harder this time of the year.” 

Chuck had also moved during the fit of emotion from her, now standing next to Katy with a hand on her shoulder. “I know. I was watching. I know what happened. That’s why I’m sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” Katy looked up at Chuck, a confused look on her face before he placed a finger to her forehead, making her pass out. 

 

* * *

 

“Iro!” A voice shouted, snapping Katy from her thoughts. She quickly looked over to the voice sitting in the center of the curved line of marble thrones. 

Katy instantly gave an awkward smile, bowing her head to the man in the center. “My apologies, great Zeus. Could you please repeat the sentence?” 

Zeus took a heavy sigh, glaring over at the woman. “I asked if you have anything new to share? Have your worshipers accomplished anything at all?” 

“Um,” Katy hesitated, taking a quick look at the other gods watching her, waiting for an answer. Her heart quickened. “I, um. A few have begun their families and a few have gone traveling in search for something they feel they’re missing and have asked me to assist them on their journeys.” 

Zeus didn’t reply, only continued the meeting. Athena, who sat next to Katy, gave her a sympathetic smile. Athena was the closest friend Katy had in this horrid place they called paradise, the only one she felt she could truly trust. Once the meeting was finished, Katy headed back to her own section of the palace to prepare for dinner. 

“Iro, I need to speak with you, immediately,” Zeus demanded, already at her door. The second she was within reach, he gripped her arm, earning a small yelp from the girl, and pushed her into her room, shutting the door behind him. 

“What was that for?” she shouted, rubbing her arm and sending him a glare. 

“How dare you raise your voice at me!” he replied, walking toward her and Katy backed away, not wanting to get any closer to him. “I made you into goddess you are! I gave you a throne in the Circle! You’re not family, so you have to earn your place, understand?” 

“I thought I have?” 

“Not even close!” he snapped. “You’ll marry, and bare children if you want to keep your place. If you don’t marry, I’ll do it myself.” 

That pissed her off. She laughed, a little too loudly, and pushed past him. “You’re a bastard of a god!” Katy shouted, rushing out of her room, Zeus hot on her heels. Athena had heard the yelling from down the hall, but couldn’t make out the words, so she decided to investigate and help her friend if need be. 

“You can not force this! I am a goddess, Zeus! You can’t tell me what to do-” the rest of her rant was cut off by Zeus grabbing her, yet again, and slapping her across the face. Her yelp and sound of his slap echoed across the palace.

After he slapped her, he pushed her onto the ground, drawing his blade and holding it against her throat. “Silence yourself before I cut out your tongue, Iro,” he growled, his eyes filled with fury. “Hades has a son. You’ll marry him the day after the full moon.” 

“But that’s only a few days ti-” 

He moved his blade closer, the tip close to drawing blood. “I meant what I said, child. It’s happening and you cannot stop it.” Then he sheathed his blade and walked off, thunder rolling in the distance. 

Athena had come to comfort Katy, having seen the encounter after they’d left the room. Katy was shaken by the event and could barely prepare herself for the night’s festivities so Athena got ready with her, hoping to calm her down. “I’m sorry about my father. He’s always been like that.” 

“Like what? A bastard who thinks he controls everyone?” Katy snapped as she pulled her signature gown on. 

The main portion of her one-shoulder dress was midnight blue and, literally, held the stars and galaxies on it. All of them moving at different paces, all slow, and flickering at different times. No one really knew if it held the real stars, but that was what Katy told them. There was another piece of fabric draped across half of the dress, stopping with the rest of her dress under her right arm. The colors were browns, slight green, and blues fading into one another like a desert sunrise, or at least what you’d expect it to look like. She had a metal belt that went around her entire torso, similar to a corset, with brown leather in the center. An armband was on her right arm, the same blue as her dress with slightly green feathers hanging from it. Her long blonde hair was half up/half down, a tiara pinned onto the half-up portion. Feathers hung from the ponytail along with a blue ribbon. 

“That’s because he _does_ control everyone, Iro! He’s the king of us, the best of us.” 

“He’s the worst of you! Trust me, I would know. He’s a cheating bastard who deserves to be put in his place, Athena. I’ll be the one to put him there, I swear on Gaia.” 

Athena sighed, resting a hand on her friends shoulder. “Just... be careful.” Katy nodded and the pair left to join the others for the evening. 

Katy woke up groggy, looking around the bar in a dazed state. The sound of Chuck on the guitar ringing in her ears. “Chuck? Did I fall asleep?” 

The man quickly stopped when he realized he heard her question and then quickly relaxed. She didn’t remember what he’d done. “Oh, uh… yeah. What’d you dream about?” he asked in a curious tone, walking over and sitting next to her at the booth. 

“Zeus being the dick he normally was,” she chuckled half-heartedly, a yawn escaping her. “I should really get going,” 

“No no, sleep some more. It’s good for you to get rid of the hangover before it comes around.” He gave a small smile, squeezing her shoulder a bit before laying her down as she passed out again. 

The time had come for another meeting and so far Katy hadn’t been banished. She had married Hades’ son, a demigod named Seraphim, and the two had a child, but not the typical way one would go about that. Katy had used her powers to ‘create’ a child who shared both of their DNA. Something she hasn’t been able to do since then. At this point, she assumed Chuck had been involved in that. 

“So, Iro? What has your child accomplished?” Zeus questioned, leaning back in his throne with his arms crossed. 

“Alkestis has just embarked on yet another quest with Perseus, great Zeus,” Katy explained, a small smile on her face yet again. She was proud of her child, and her worshipers, with whatever they did, no matter how small. 

He nodded, moving on to the next order of business. The meeting finished and Katy rushed back to her room without even saying goodbye to the others. “Ah! Seraphim!” Katy exclaimed, shutting the door behind her and hugging her husband. 

“Iro, how are you, my goddess?” he asked, hugging her in return as the servants left the room. Once they were all out, he sighed and both gods pulled away. “I hate this charade, Iro.” 

Katy chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of her neck before going to change behind the curtain she had hanging. “I know, Seraphim. At least you _get_ to have a secret family! Zeus would find out if it were me.” 

He nodded in understanding, leaning against the railing of Katy’s balcony. “How’s your wife and children doing, by the way?” Katy asked, emerging from the curtain and joining her friend on the balcony. 

The two may have been married, but they were never interested in the other romantically. The two had actually become close friends and Katy even helped him start a family on earth. Yes, his human wife knew about is arranged marriage, but she was on cloud nine for the man and felt it was worth the risk. Katy even got to meet her! 

“They’re just fine. The kids are older now, thirteen and ten. My boys now know how to hunt and I’ve taken him to kill his first boar already!” 

“At such a young age? Don’t you think that’s early?” 

“Iro, he’s thirteen. Already a year older than I was when I killed my first lion,” he chuckled a little at her comment, finding it a bit strange. Katy just shrugged in agreement. “While we’re on the subject of children, how’s Alkestis doing?” 

“Alkestis is just fine. On another quest with Perseus.” 

Seraphim groaned, leaning his head back to look up at the stars. “I don’t like Perseus. He's too much like his father.” 

Katy laughed, hitting his arm a little. “Hush before Zeus hears you!” she whispered, a small smile on her face. “But I do agree. I’m not his biggest fan either.” 

“I haven’t seen you smile like that in ages,” Seraphim commented, eyes locked on Katy in admiration. “Your gown holds the stars. Why not your eyes?” 

“That’s very different from what we were talking about, Seraphim.” 

“I mean it, Iro. you’re so young. Your eyes should be bright and adventurous! But they mainly hold sadness. Even when Alkestis was a child, you still had sadness in them.” 

“Okay! That’s it for tonight!”

The night continued with laughing and drinking, after the seriousness was over anyway. 

Time shifted forward in the dream to something Katy could never forget, no matter how hard she tried. Katy had currently been sleeping after a long night of tossing and turning. It wasn’t a good night's rest, mainly because of the horrors she had to deal with. 

“Wake up!” Zeus yelled, gripping the girls hair and pulling her out of the bed, the girl yelling and gripping his wrists. “Time for a lesson, Iro.” 

“Zeus!” she yelled, trying her hardest to escape his grasp. She dug her nails into his wrists in desperate attempts to make him let go. She even was kicking and flailing around, knocking over vases and other objects in the process “Someone help me! Please!” she shouted, yelping every now and then from the pain of him dragging her by the hair. 

Finally, they reached his destination and he picked her up by the waist, tossing her into the dirt arena. “On your feet, Iro!” The door slammed shut as he stepped out, Katy rushing over and shaking the bars to try and open the gate. “Please! Let me out! I didn’t do anything wrong!” 

“Iro.” 

She gasped, eyes widening as she slowly turned around to see Seraphim on the other side of the arena, his clothing soaked in blood. He was dry and caked, so it’s been there for some time. “Seraphim? What’s happening? Why are we in an arena?” she asked, rushing over to him and checking him over for wounds. There were none and she met his gaze and saw the pain in his eyes. They were red and puffy from crying and darkened with sadness and anger. “By the gods!” she huffed, pulling him into a hug. She had only guessed what happened and was pretty sure she was right. 

“They killed my family, Iro,” he whispered, finally wrapping his arms around Katy. She knew exactly how he felt. Not only has she lost someone she loved, she had lost two, and he had now lost four. 

“I’m so sorry, Seraphim.” 

“Take me to see them, _please_ ,” he begged, pulling away and gripping her shoulders, giving them a squeeze to make her look at him. 

Her eyes widened and her heart sank. “You’re asking me to kill you?” She couldn’t lose another person. Not one more.

“Please! He brought us here to fight each other. I’m asking you, not only as a friend but as my wife, to end my suffering so I can join my family and father in the underworld.” 

Her heart was racing and all sound started to get fuzzy. Katy repeatedly shook her head no, stuttering the same words. She couldn’t do it. It wasn’t in her to do something like that. “No! No, I can’t… I… I can’t kill you, Seraphim! He’ll make me marry again!” 

While she was lost, Seraphim grabbed a blade and forced the handle between her hands. “Don’t let him win, Iro,” he whispered, brushing away her tears and forcing her to snap out of her daze. 

She could see the pain he felt. It was so prominent that anyone could probably feel his pain as well. Finally, she broke down, dropping her head to his shoulder. “I love you, Seraphim. You’ll always be my friend.” She cried, her grip tightening around the handle. 

“And you as well, Iro. Give him hell,” he grinned, gripping the fabric of her dress in his fist. A gasp escaped him and his eyes widened as the sword went through him. It hurt, but somehow the pain of death was better than the pain of living. “Thank you, Iro.” 

“Tell your father, I’ll make the immortal who did this fear death by my hand. I swear it,” Katy snarled after she pulled the blade out and laid him on the ground, his blood soaking through her gown. 

Thunder rolled above the arena as Zeus growled in frustration, slamming his fist against his chair before jumping into the arena. “That wasn’t a fight, Iro! You helped him escape!” he yelled, grabbing her hair and throwing her into the wall, leaving a crack in the concrete. 

The air was knocked out of Katy’s lungs as she hit the wall, coughing as she held herself up on her forearms, trying to get the air back. 

“How dare you! I needed you to suffer! You’ll marry again, and have another child if you wish to stay, do you understand, Iro?” he shouted, reaching down to grab her by the neck but Katy quickly grabbed wrist, keeping his arm away from her. Every spectator was quiet as they watched, frozen by the terror of what might happen next. 

“I told you years ago, Zeus. I’m a goddess, _and you can’t control me!_ ” Katy yelled, now looking up at him. Her hair covered much of the golden blood caked on her face, but he could clearly see her eyes. The whites were now black, her irises were every color you could think of blending into one another, almost like the color wheel, and her pupils were slitted much like that of a feline. “I doubt you heard, but I meant what I told Seraphim,” she growled, now standing to her feet with her wings now visible. 

The wings arched threateningly and the black, purple, blue, and green feathers blew against the wind swirling around them. The goddesses pupils narrowed even further to the point of almost disappearing and leaving nothing behind aside from the colorful irises and the black surrounding them. Her hair whipped around in the storming wind, repeatedly covering and revealing her face and vengeful scowl.

Katy twisted his wrist, the god hissing in pain. “Let go, Iro!” Zeus yelled, thunder roaring even louder now.

“I will no longer listen to you, bastard!” Her tone was deep and it almost sounded like she was possessed. The fear of what might happen was present on Zeus’ face when he realized he _wasn’t_ the one controlling the thunder anymore.

Katy gripped his shirt in both hands, lifting him into the air and flying up barely higher than the seats around the arena. Zeus flailed, gripping onto her wrists to make sure she didn’t let go. Now that he was face to face with her, he could see her canines were sharper now and her skin was almost gray. 

“Zeus!” Ares shouted, grabbing his weapons in preparation to fight. Letting out a shout of pain when lightning hit his hand, making him drop the weapon. 

“Stay out of this, Ares!” Katy snarled, her voice carrying far and glaring down at him until he backed off. 

“Iro, put me down before I-” 

“Before you what, Zeus?” she screamed, “I have the upper hand! I’m more powerful than all of you combined! What do you honestly think you can do to me, that you haven’t already done, Zeus?” she hissed dropping him to the ground and pinning him with lightning bolts before flying down, pressing her foot to his chest as he shouted in pain. 

“You’re banished from Olympus, Iro!” 

“So be it!” she replied, leaning down a little closer to him. “I’ll happily leave. Although I should warn you.” 

“Warn me about what?” he groaned, trying to pry her foot off of him. 

“If you harm _any_ of my worshipers in anyway possible. Whether it be by your hand, someone else, or _something_ else, I will come and kill you, and every other god as brutally as I possibly can. I’ll be sure to butcher everyone else first and let you watch like you had Seraphim watch. Then I’ll destroy this world and everyone on it. Do you understand me?” 

He laughed, tightly squeezing her ankle to make her move but she seemed unfazed. “You're not possibly strong enough to do that! You’re bluffing!” 

Katy laughed a horrible laugh. It was almost deranged in nature, which she practically was at the moment. She stretched her arms out, looking up to the sky and lightning spread across it. “My imagination is the limit, Zeus!” she boasted, glaring back down at him with a toothy grin. “All I have to do is imagine I’m capable of accomplishing it, and I can. It’s that simple.” 

“Yeah? How are you going to kill an immortal?” he smirked back, trying to hide his fear. 

“Says the man bleeding,” she chuckled, digging her blade into his shoulder. 

“Iro!” Athena called over the balcony. She hated seeing her friend in such a state of anger and sadness to drive the kind hearted girl to this point. 

The woman’s voice snapped Katy out of her fit of rage just a little bit, her eyes returning to their normal carribbean green as she looked over to Athena. Zeus tried to take the opportunity to get out, but Katy’s main focus was still on him. 

“This isn’t you, Iro. Please calm down and we can work this out!” 

Katy’s hope for her friends assistance left her eyes as they turned back to the black and rainbow, her gaze switching back to Zeus. “No, Athena! This isn’t something we can just work out. Zeus needs to know that he has a target above his head and that I’m prepared to kill him at any moment!” she shouted, pushing on his chest some more, leaving a crack on the floor. 

“I think he knows!” 

“ _Does he?_ ” she yelled, snapping her head towards Athena, thunder rumbling again. 

“Yes! He does! Please, Iro! You’re going to kill me!” Zeus called, struggling to breath with her weight on him. 

She groaned in frustration before screeching in his face and causing a bright light to flash in front of all of them, giving her the cover to leave. 

Katy yelled in horror as she woke up in the bar again, Chuck, once more, cutting his singing short on the guitar. “Katy? Are you alright?” he asked in a worried tone, rushing over to her. 

“You jerk! You made me dream that on purpose!” Tears were hot on her face as she pushed herself up from the seat before he could get close. “Why would you bring that back up?” Her body shook and she looked fragile. Like a child when you tell them Santa isn’t real. Or when they were put through a scary and stressful situation.

“I’m sorry Katy, but you need to talk about it.” 

“ _Why?_ ” 

“You’ll find out later! Just _please_ , don’t dwell on it anymore. Okay?” 

Katy groaned, trying to rub the sleep off her face. “Fine! I’ll find someone to talk about it with! Just… just don’t force me to dream about it again.” 

Chuck nodded, pulling her into a side hug. “You make yourself go through all this hard stuff on your own, Katy. you’re far too young to have that burden.” 

Katy nodded, hugging him in return. “Apology accepted.” 

Chuck huffed a laugh, patting her back. “I’m glad. I don’t want to get on your bad side.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies! 
> 
> Wow! Over a dozen chapters already! I hope you’re all enjoying it as much as I am, and hopefully you look forward to the upcoming chapters. In honor of the story so far, I wanted to give you a list of each chapter’s song for your enjoyment!  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> Drifting Away: Lucid Dream - Owl City 
> 
> Because This Is Totally How Normal Relationships Start: When September Ends - Green Day
> 
> Ironically Alive: Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas
> 
> Clowning Around: Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede
> 
> Heartbreak and Bone-Break: Americana - Jay Gruska
> 
> Where’s My Epic Background Music: Uprising - Muse
> 
> Marvelous: Parts 1 & 2: Shoot to Thrill - AC/DC
> 
> SKOMO: Parts 1-3: Melissa - Porno Graffiti
> 
> I Can’t Wait To Tell This Story To My Grandchildren: Glitter & Gold - Barns Courtney
> 
> This Is Our Fairy Tail: Strike Back - BACK-ON
> 
> Hope y’all like the selection!


	15. A Hela Big Pain In My Ass

The fight for Asgard grew more life threatening by the second. Hela was in the palace fighting Thor, and Katy was helping Heimdall escort all the citizens down the rainbow bridge towards the bifrost to help them escape, Hela’s undead armor chasing after them. Valkyrie and Bruce were flying above in the Grandmaster’s party ship from Sakkar, following Hela’s undead and oversized dog as it ran down the bridge towards the others. 

Valkyrie stopped shooting the space machine gun long enough to call to Bruce who was flying the ship. “This stupid dog won’t die!”

Banner hesitated, looking back at her while she spoke then back to steering, deciding if he should use the Hulk or not, worried he’d lose control like last time. Finally coming to a conclusion. 

In the meantime, Heimdall threw his cape off from his shoulders and stood his ground with his sword in hand, preparing to fight the dog. An arm was suddenly in front of him, keeping him back. When he looked over, Katy was the person it belonged to, causing a confused look to take over his face. “Iro?” 

“Don’t worry about the dog, Heimdall.” Her eyes were fixated on the bridge in front of her,watching the dog run closer and closer. _Any second now..._

Bruce stood from his seat at the controls and walked over to Valkyrie. “Everything’s gonna be alright now. I got this.” Valkyrie gave him a confused look, looking to the bridge then back to Bruce as he continued. “You wanted to know who I am?” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

“You’ll see!” he replied, jumping out of the ship and down to the bridge. 

After a couple of seconds of Katy holding Heimdall back, Bruce hit the bridge like a pancake being flipped in a pan. The large dog stopped and sniffed at the form. A disappointed look on appeared on Katy’s face, but she held her ground, keeping her arm in front of Heimdall. 

“Now?” he sounded worried, shifting his feet to get a better grip on the bridge. 

“No.” Katy replied, voice stern as the citizens cried in fear. 

The dog got closer, preparing to bite down on them before he suddenly stopped and was drug backward, nails scratching on the bridge and tearing pieces off of it. He was then swung around to the other side and dropped. He staggered back to his paws, looking over his shoulder at just what threw him. 

Now standing big and green as the Hulk, Bruce roared in challenge. Valkyrie was now completely and shocked about what was happening, shaking her head at the situation. The dog growled back, charging Bruce. With his Hulk strength he braced for the impact as the dog’s jaws clamped down on his shoulder and dragged him across the bridge before Bruce flipped himself and the dog over the ledge and into the water.

“Ya know -” Katy chuckled, crossing her arms as she turned to look at Heimdall, “-  what I don’t get, is why you were prepared to fight the dog when you can see the future and knew that was going to happen.” 

The man opened his mouth to speak. It was stuck like that for a moment before he closed it. “I thought I had an answer to that, but I don’t.” 

Katy chuckled yet again. Turning around she noticed the undead fighting the civilians. She slapped Heimdall’s shoulder to gain his attention. “Time to hero up, Heim,” the woman smirked, pulling her own sword out of its sheath. 

Heimdall also prepared to fight, glancing over at her as she spoke. ‘ _Why does this woman speak when I can’t understand her?’_ he thought, shaking his head to make himself focus on the task at hand. 

The two charged forward, slashing away at the dead army. While fighting the undead, one cut the man’s leg, making him fall to his knees and he swung his sword around his head, cutting two in the abdomen, killing both, even though they were already dead. One he had missed, and as it brought it’s sword down to strike a finishing blow on Heimdall, it was shot through the chest, revealing two figures standing behind it. 

The man made of rocks rested his blaster over his shoulder, walking up to Heimdall who laid on the ground, moving his arms out of the defensive position they were in so he could see the person in front of him.

“Hey, Man-” Korg began, “- I’m Korg, This is Miek. We’re gonna jump on that spaceship and get out of here. Wanna come?” As if on cue, the sound of spaceship engines rang out through the air. Heimdall looked over his shoulder and at the fog in the direction of where the sound was coming from. 

At that moment, Katy sliced down another enemy and kicked another off the side of the bridge, huffing a laugh as a small smile spread across her face. Memories of the day in New York when she got her scar flashing through her head. The roaring engines gained her attention and she spared a glance toward the fog. All the civilians looked to where the sound was coming from as well, Korg and Miek holding off the undead for the time being. 

Through the fog, coming closer to the bridge, a figure of a person was slowly revealed. First, the golden horns of their helmet, then slowly the rest of their body, revealing them to be holding their arms out on a heroic pose. “Your savior is here!” The ship got closer and the fog finally cleared to reveal the large vessel. 

Katy crossed her arms and her smile widened at the God of Mischief’s words, a strange feeling in her stomach in anticipation of talking to the god. She herded the crowd closer to the ship and urged them aboard.

“Did you miss me?” Loki asked, prancing off the ship and into the crowd of people. “Everyone, on that ship now!” he ordered, gesturing for everyone to go to the platform of the ship he had just stepped off of. 

Loki then strode towards Heimdall and Katy, instantly stopping when he saw Katy. “Iro? What are you doing here?” he asked, giving her a once over before settling on her face, the scar he left on her slighting distracting him. 

She shrugged and folded her arms over he chest, if only to give some movement to her body. “Your brother called me to come help.” 

“How?” He was confused by the answer. Thor didn’t have a phone, did he? Loki wasn’t sure his brother knew how to use one in the first place.

“He prayed, Loki. I’m a god as well, I hear prayers addressed to me. Though, it wasn't on purpose.” Katy chuckled half-heartedly, sending him a grin. She frowned and waved her hand. “Stop staring, I’ve grown to like it, no hard feelings.” 

Rose coloring snuck onto his cheeks as he coughed, a bit embarrassed by having been caught. To hide his expression, he turned to Heimdall with his usual smirk. 

“Welcome home,” Heimdall greeted. “I saw you coming.”

“Of course you did,” Loki replied before the group stood their ground, prepared to fight the horde. 

The fighting continued, and Thor had just come rumbling onto the bridge. Katy couldn’t help but smile and let Immigrant Song play in her head, it was too much of a historic moment in her mind. He fought, and fireworks came from the party ship as Valkyrie presented her grand entrance into the fight, a smirk on her face as she strode down the bridge. The display of pops of colors drew the undead’s attention and they raced in her direction.

Stab, duck, parry, jab, swing, block. It continued like that for a while and eventually, both brothers, huffing and puffing from the fighting, found each other. Katy finishing off her own enemies before joining them in the conversation. 

“You’re late,” Thor quipped.

“You’re missing an eye,” Loki drawled, glancing to Katy as she walked over. “And why bring her?” 

Katy kicked down her last enemy, a sigh of relief escaping her lungs as she looked over to the brothers. Something was off. The two seemed to be standing in different places, and Hela seemed to be closer. Her eyes widened and time seemed slowed down as she looked to Hela, seeing one of her daggers zooming through the air, headed straight towards Loki. 

Before Thor had an opportunity to respond, He heard Katy yell Loki’s name and suddenly she had tackled him to the ground, the two flipping a couple of times down the bridge before slowing to a stop with Katy on top. “What the hell?” he mumbled, looking over to Hela, and not noticing anything. 

When the pair stopped, they were both breathing heavy, Katy looking Loki over for any wounds. “Are you alright?” she asked in a worried tone, feeling his chest and torso for any wounds, sighing a bit when she didn’t feel any. 

“I’m fine. What was that about? Nothing happened,” he responded before realizing he felt something warm and wet soaking through his clothing. “Iro?” he asked, narrowing his eyes a bit. 

“Aw shit,” she hissed, holding herself up with one hand on Loki’s chest. Loki sat back and pulled her up with him before he used his free hand to pull the blade out. Katy groaned in the process and holding her hand over the wound in her chest, even though it wasn’t going to do anything for the entry point on the back.

Loki grimaced and quickly shifted to lay her down on the bridge, ripping a piece of his cape off and applying pressure to the wound. “Why in the nine realms did you jump in front of me?” he asked, frantically trying to come up with a solution to save her. “Heimdall!” he called. “Heimdall! Help me please! Someone!” 

She groaned from the pain, coughing a little and causing blood to fall down the side of her mouth. “Because I… I couldn’t let you die, Loki,” she whispered, taking his hand into hers. She began to feel cold and tired, struggling to keep her eyes opened. 

Heimdall had rushed out of the spaceship when he was called, sighing a little from the scene happening in front of him. He had seen it, and knew exactly what was going to happen. So he stood by and waited, rolling his eyes at Katy’s actions. 

In essence, the goddess was faking it. The wound was real as ever, but both he and Katy knew it could be healed semi-easily. The woman was just taking the chance to prank Loki, the God of Mischief. If anyone was able to pull it off her knew it was her.

“Why, though?” Loki asked, squeezing her hand tightly as he stared at her eyes, praying that they wouldn’t close. 

“Because… ’cause you’re too… important to... us.” A tear fell from her eye as she gave him a small smile and closed her eyes. Heimdall almost quirked a smile at the theatrics.

“Katy! Don’t close your eyes,” he was panicking now, gently hitting her face to try and make her wake up. 

Heimdall stepped forward and knelt down. “Loki, let me take her. You need to help your brother with the fight.” He looked up to Thor and Valkyrie who were currently fighting Hela. 

Loki also looked back to his brother and nodding before standing and looking to Heimdall. “Try to save her.” He then ran off to help Thor finish their crazed sister. 

Heimdall looked down at the woman in his arms. “That was mean.”

“Shut up, I’m hilarious,” she pouted, not opening her eyes. “But I need a nap to heal this.”

 

* * *

 

_“Mother? Where are we going?” A young girl, around twelve, asked as she followed close behind her mom to some mysterious place in the forest for others like her._

_“I place for demigods to train in safety. Don’t worry, you already know one person there.” Katy smiled back at her daughter, holding her dress up whenever she stepped over something so it wouldn’t get caught._

_Also following them, was Loki. Since this was scene was all inside Katy’s head, the girl currently dreaming about a memory, Loki wouldn’t be seen as he intruded on her privacy. “She has a daughter?” he mumbled to himself, keeping a good distance just in case. “She looks so different compared to now.”_

_Alkestis’ eyes lit up with her mother’s words, a small smile spreading across her face as she skipped closer to her mom. “Who do I know?”_

_“Perseus! He’s here too.” Before Alkestis could cheer with joy about being around her crush, they were greeted at the gates of the camp by Perseus himself. “Hello, Percy.” Katy smiled._

_“Hello, Goddess Iro. Hello, Alkestis.” The boy smirked at the two girls, leading them inside the camp._

_“Perseus? How long do we actually stay here?” Alkestis asked, trotting up next to him so they could talk, Katy further in the back._

_“Until you’re able to go on quests without any assistance. Don’t worry, I have requested that I be your partner in training.” He smirked yet again, elbowing her slightly._

_The conversation between the two continued while Perseus gave the tour. Every now and then, Katy would get the feeling that someone was watching her, other than all the other demigods in the camp. Although, when she looked around, no one was to be found, even when Loki was standing right next to her. She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head once more._

_The three then ended back right where they had started, the gate of the camp. “Good luck, Alkestis. Please be safe,” Katy smiled, wrapping her daughter in a tight hug._

_“You’ll be watching me, right?”_

_“When I can, my child. I promise. If you need me, just pray to me.”_

_Alkestis smiled, nodding as a response, and then he frowned. “I am a little worried, though. About what kind of person I will become with this camp,” she whispered, still held in her mother’s arms. When she finished speaking, the two pulled away, Katy cupping her face._

_“Remember what I taught you?” Katy asked, raising an eyebrow as she waited for a response._

_The two spoke in unison, each smiling more as they continued to talk. “_ It is not in the stars that hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” 

_“I doubt I can forget that, mother,” Alkestis chuckled, letting their foreheads touch._

_The woman nodded. “Good. Now stay strong, and live well. I’m being called,” Katy responded, ruffling her daughters hair before disappearing and the whole scene going dark for a moment._

_Loki was a bit confused and also worried that she might have died, but when thunder sounded above him and the sound of rain hitting the ocean and rocks made him relax, a new scene playing through Katy’s head._

_A few years had passed and Alkestis and Perseus had now grown to eighteen and were planning on getting married, something Katy and Alkestis were both thrilled about. Recently, the two had gone on a quest that required them to travel by sea, but it hasn’t gone well. The rain continued to wash the blood off of Katy and Alkestis. The goddess’ dress was soaked with rain and blood, blood from her daughter who was being held in her arms._

_“Alkestis! Don’t close your eyes, my child. You are going to be just fine, I promise,” Katy’s voice was frantic and shaky as she placed her hands over her daughters wounds, using a spell to try and heal her._

_“Mother… no,” Alkestis whispered, holding onto her mother’s hands. “Do you remember… remember what you had said at camp? That I make my destiny?”_

_Katy dropped her head, a bolt of lightning flashing above head as she got that same feeling from years ago, but this time she knew what it was._

_“How dare you!” She snarled, her voice deeper than usual. Katy stood to her feet, turned on her heels and rushed forward towards where Loki was standing. Without hesitating, she threw a punch at Loki._

The change in scenery from ship on the sea to ship in space violently jarred her mind but she focused on the object of her anger.

Loki stumbled back in shock, ignoring the punch in favor of staring at her. “Katy! You’re alri-” 

“Shut up, Loki!” she yelled, quickly standing from her bed and pushing him against the wall, pinning him with her forearm to his throat. 

Her cheeks were wet from tears, and she looked how she did in the dream. She was a bit shorter, slightly thicker, her hair was a darker blonde and much shorter. It now rested on her upper back, above her bra line, as opposed to her lighter blonde hair down to her tailbone. And lastly, her eyes were more of an ocean blue, instead of the carribbean green. 

The sudden awakening stripped Katy of the illusion she had placed upon herself all those years ago when she first met Chuck.

“My memories are not something for you to invade! Those are private!” 

“I’m sorry-” he was cut off once more, the girl groaning in frustration as she barged out of the room to some sort of space viewing area to calm herself. 

About twenty minutes after, Loki had also walked out, the room quiet other than the sound of his footsteps as he walked in, sitting down next to her and also looking out at the view. “May I ask...” he hesitated, to finish, looking over to Katy. She looked calmer now, but lost in thought. “May I ask how she died?” 

Katy glanced at him through his reflection in the glass window but didn’t bother turning around. She could see that he was focused on her. “Perseus betrayed her. Took orders from his father to kill her while they were out at sea. Really all he did was cut her and throw her in the water to let the sharks finish her. Which is what happened.” 

“It must have been hard on you and your husband,” he commented, jumping a little when Katy quickly stood from her spot, looking down at him. Loki fidgeted under her stare.

“What I’m about to say will sound strange, but I need you to take me seriously.” She stood straight, crossing her arms. All Loki did was furrow his eyebrows, waiting for an answer. “I know you have the cube and I don’t care. All I care about is stopping your death.” 

That caught his attention. He also stood abruptly, noting how he was much closer than he thought to the woman. “How did you know I have it?” he whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear. 

“Because I know things.” 

“Why do you want to stop my death? How do you even know I’m going to die? How am I going to die?” he questioned, speaking a bit faster with each question. 

Katy took a breath, breathing in his sent, which happened to be amazing. After clearing her throat, she held up one finger. “Because… because I - we care about you. We all do and you don’t deserve to die.” She held up a second finger, “I know things.” A third and final finger was held up. “Thanos will snap your neck. You’re going to die protecting Thor. It’s a brutal death, and isn’t one I would like to see again.” 

“Again?” 

“Whatever! Yes!” she snapped, taking a breath and looking up at him. _Damn he’s tall._

“Why should I take you seriously? Give me one good reason. After all the things I’ve done,” he scoffed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. 

“Because...” She was quiet for a moment, trying to think of an answer. Then she smiled. “It’s not in the stars that hold our destiny.”

He instantly looked back to her when she started to say the quote, a small grin appearing on his face. “But in ourselves,” he finished the line, Katy returning the smile. “Fine. I’ll go with you. Although, what’s going to happen to Thanos?” 

“I have a plan for him later. For now, I need you to make an illusion of yourself that he can grab and kill, and give it the real Tesseract.” 

“What?” he exclaimed, eyes wide as he chuckled and shook his head. “You’re insane! Why would we hand him the Stone?” 

“Because that’s how it needs to happen. He can’t know that you’re still alive. If the stone was fake, he would know and would come looking for you.” Loki groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose before finally giving in. 

Once everything was set in place, Katy teleported the both of them to her new home in Othos, landing in the living room. When they landed, she groaned in pain and lost her balance, knocking things off of a display which caused them to break. Before she could cause more damage, Loki helped her catch her berings again. “You’re still healing. You should rest, Katy.” 

Katy shook her head in an effort to rid herself of the dizzy spell. It only made it worse. “No. I don’t have time for that. I have to-” she collapsed into Loki’s grasp as she passed out again. 

Finally healed, she woke up hours later in bed and searched around the house for Loki, finding him in the living room, reading a book about Shakespeare. “Loki?” she questioned. For a moment, she thought he was his actor, but it was her mind playing tricks. Or so she assumed anyway. She did lose a lot of blood playing her little trick. “I have a meeting to go to in preparation for this war. I need you to come as well.” 

He didn’t look up from the book. “Well good morning to you too. Yes, I’m fine. You’re welcome for placing you in bed, it wasn’t a problem at all.” He spoke in a mocking tone, making her chuckle in response as she walked to the front door, grabbing her keys. 

“My apologies. We really need to go, Loki.” 

As they pulled up to the castle, Katy cast an illusion on herself, making her look the same as during the fight with Hela: longer and brighter hair, carribbean green eyes, skinnier, a bit taller, and clear skin free of every scar except for the one on her eye. Loki raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on her actions. It wasn’t his business.

At the meeting, Kate and Sam were skeptical about Loki, pretty much keeping their eyes on him the whole time and only turning away when Katy would glare. After the hours at a table, Loki and Katy got back in the car and headed towards her base. As they drove, Katy let down the illusion again as she spoke. 

“I apologize for the royals. They know the stories about you so they’re worried. But they kinda had to trust you since I was the one who brought you here.” She chuckled awkwardly, rubbing her neck a bit as she explained their actions. 

Loki nodded. “I don’t blame them.” He turned to look out the window but his thoughts didn’t stray from her. Twice now he’d seen her change faces like he often did. It made him wonder who was the real persona.

Once they got to the base and Katy stepped out of the car, Loki following suit, she put the illusion back up again. She needed to conserve her energy for the fight as much as she could, but also didn’t want anyone to see her true looks. It was almost a weak point for her.

Each person they walked by greeted her as she walked down the halls to Kyoya’s lab, her heels clicking with each step. “Kyoya, my boy!” she exclaimed, hearing a quiet ‘oh god’ from said man as she walked in. Trotting up to him, she draped her arm across his shoulders, her joyful face changing to serious. “How’s that big one comin’?”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s coming, ma’am. I’ll have it done next week,” he gave a smile and straightened his back, proud of his progress. 

Katy nodded, patting his shoulder as she did so. “Good, good. It’s critical that it’s done by tomorrow. Including testing,” she stated, giving him another grin. “I have other things I need to attend to, so I’ll see you later!” She waved, walking back towards the doors, which was where Loki stood. 

“But ma’am! This is much bigger than the other one!” he protested.

Katy stopped in her tracks, took a breath, and spun on her heels. “Wanna say that again?” her tone was darker, which honestly kind of surprised Loki. She didn’t seem to be the aggressive type usually, so this must have been important. Kyoya only shook his head response, looking down at his feet to avoid eye contact with her. “Good! I’ll see you later.” With that, she was gone again, Loki following her still. 

“Where to?” 

“There’s a training ground I use. I need your help, and Kate’s, with my training,” she explained, the two getting back in the car, her illusion dropping yet again as she drove. For a while, they drove through the forest on a dirt path. Finally they came to a stop, but it didn’t seem to be their location. 

They stepped out and Katy began leading him down the smaller path. It was likely used for hiking, but he assumed only she came out here often enough to make the path. She did have teleportation at her disposal. 

Earlier, during the drive, Loki had finally connected all the dots when it came to Katy’s illusions and actions from earlier. It gave his stomach a weird feeling. “Well, Katy,” Loki began, getting the girls attention, the two’s speed matched. “I’m pleased to know you trust me enough to show your true self.” 

Katy chuckled and raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. “What do you mean?” 

“Your true self is vulnerable and I see it. You hide yourself from outside contact and yet not from me.” A grin crept onto his face as he spoke, looking her up and down as the two stopped walking. 

She now laughed, shaking her head. “Loki, I don’t know what you mean by ‘vulnerable’. Care to elaborate?” Katy placed her hands in her pockets and stopped walking, waiting for him to continue. 

He groaned, a bit frustrated that she wasn’t getting it. “By Odin’s beard, Katy!” He shook his head, looking her in the eyes after. “You feel vulnerable without the illusion, you aren’t on guard when you don’t have it. Which means that you trust me, are comfortable with me, and feel safe around me. I’m also assuming you hold other feelings toward me as well,” Loki explained, crossing his arms once he was done talking. 

Katy’s grin faded as he spoke. She looked down at her feet to hide her blush, hoping he didn’t spot it. “Well… maybe. I never thought of that.” She was lying with that statement and he knew it. Before Loki could continue, she had pointed behind him to some vines hanging from a branch, hiding another walkway. “We need to go that way, to the waterfall.” Katy walked past him to go in the direction she was gesturing to. 

“Don’t change the subject. Do you, or do you not feel safe with me around?” he asked, gently grabbing her wrist to keep her from walking any further. 

The blush instantly came to her cheeks again as she whirled around to look at him, baffled by his actions. So much so that it took her a moment to wrap her head around the question, although she was mainly lost in his eyes. 

“Okay! Yes, I do. Satisfied yet?” she huffed, pulling her arm away and taking a breath before continuing the walk. 

Her response had surprised Loki. He hadn’t actually expected a confirmation from her, given his reputation. He had answered the mystery as to why she would drop the illusion around him, but why did she feel safe with him? Why would she let her guard down? He still hadn’t figured out the other feelings she was hiding. The woman intrigued him on a level he’d never known. She was… strange. And he wanted to figure her out.

“For now,” he finally answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Katy and Loki, sittin’ in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes death, then comes tears, then comes some spoilers that I won’t tell you!  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> Wow. I work with such a mature person.  
> ~ Lumos
> 
> YOU’RE ONE TO TALK, BISH!  
> ~ K
> 
> You’re older than me by a few months. Look what kind of example you’re setting for me.  
> ~ L
> 
> A damn good one!  
> ~ K
> 
> Yeah, sure. Let’s go with that.  
> ~ L


	16. F.E.A.R.; Face Everything And Rise

Standing in front of her house in the real world, Katy was confused, and surprised, that  _ this  _ is where it would happen. The hot summer breeze blew her hair and the sound of the water fountain on the front porch filled her ears as she walked up the driveway toward the side door of the home.

Passing by the windows of the dining room, she couldn’t help but want to look inside for any clues of life. Instead, she was being looked at by her reflection. She immediately stopped and stared at the woman in the glass who seemed to be an opposite version of herself; pure white hair, her skin as pale as snow, irises a piercing golden yellow - similar to whiskey in sunlight, and scleras as black as night.

“Hey,  _ Katy-Bug, _ ” the reflection cooed. Her voice echoed as she crossed her arms and a smirk graced her face. “About damn time you came. Although, at this point, I doubt you can do it.”

Katy snarled, eyes darkening as she stepped closer to the glass. It was obvious at this point that she wasn’t back in the real world, and that her spell had worked. “Don’t  _ fucking  _ call me that. It’s reserved for my mother alone.”

Her reflection put on a mock-hurt look. “Oh! That’s right, mommy’s girl.  _ Sorry _ to make you all butt-hurt.”

“Who are you?”

“Awe, no small talk?” the woman asked, giving Katy a pouty lip. “Well, technically I’m the spirit, or embodiment, of your powers. But you can call me Vex, little bug.”

Katy took a deep breath at the nickname, shaking her head a bit. “So I’m fighting you, I’m assuming?”

Vex laughed, a wicked sound really, and the sky turned from day to night. The wind howled through the trees and the only thing Katy could see was the glow of Vex’s eyes. “Not yet,” she whispered with glee, glaring at Katy with a spiked tooth grin. “I haven’t had my fun yet!” Vex exclaimed, shattering the glass as she jumped out of it, tackling Katy to the ground and digging her nails, or claws if you will, into her shoulders.

Instead of instantly hitting the ground, Katy fell  _ through _ the ground and into a void, Vex nowhere to be seen. She shouted for help, but no one could hear her through the cold pit that seemed never-ending. Of course, there was no one to hear her either. Gathering her composure, Katy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath before the wind was knocked out of her as she suddenly landed on the ground.

She groaned from the impact, rolling over on her side to prop herself up. The smell of the air was a familiar scent, and one she didn’t particularly wish to smell again. Quickly lifting her head up, she looked around to see that she was in the arena on Olympus, the same place she had first lost control.

“Why am I here, Vex?” Katy called as she stumbled to her feet, looking around for the woman. Finally, Katy's eyes landed on her as she spotted her sitting on the balcony in front of Zeus’ chair, her arms and legs crossed.

“For your challenge, of course! Isn’t that why you’re here?” Vex glared down at Katy, her eyes still glowing. This was her domain, and Katy should tread lightly.

It was now Katy’s turn to cross her arms, matching the woman’s gaze, “It is.” Vex smirked once again, snapping her fingers to have Dean Winchester appear in the arena looking confused. “Dean?” She questioned, walking over to him, also confused as to what Vex had planned.

“Katy? What the hell am I doing in an arena?” he asked, walking towards her, the two meeting in the center.

“Don’t ask me! I didn’t bring you here,” she shrugged looking up to where Vex was just a moment ago to ask for clarity, but she was gone. “Not this shit again,” she mumbled, looking around for the woman.

“Now comes the fun part,” a whisper echoed around the arena before Katy felt a strong pain in her chest.

Yelling from the pain, Katy clutched her chest and fell to one knee, trying to catch her breath again. It hurt so much... Where did it come from?

“Katy! Are you alright?” Dean asked in a worried tone, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Do we need to get you to a doctor?” What doctor could aid them in a crisis like this? He still wasn't completely sure where they were. And to think someone could injure someone like Katy... He didn't know what they were dealing with!

Katy tried to speak and it wasn’t her words that escaped her, but Vex’s. “No, but you’re gonna need more than a doctor.” Katy wasn’t in control of herself, yet she was conscious of what was going on.

Within seconds, Dean was thrown across the arena and into the wall, leaving a crack in the stone and breaking a few of his bones, blood falling from his mouth as the wind was knocked out of him. He coughed out a breath and shook his head. Why was she acting like this?

“No!” Katy screamed, but the sound didn’t leave her head. Dean coughed again and Vex, using Katy's body, slowly walked closer to him as her nails grew to talons.

“K-Katy… Please don’t…” Dean begged, hissing from the pain as he tried to stand but couldn’t find the strength. The fear in his eyes stung Katy and she knew she couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Without a word, Katy picked him up by the neck and thrust her arm into his chest, piercing his heart. She pulled her hand out moments later, dropping his body to the floor. Katy’s screams echoed inside her mind as she fell to her knees, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. It didn't help. Tears threatened to spill over.

“You killed him!” she screamed, looking around for Vex.

The wretched woman was leaning against the wall, right next to the two. “Oh, he wasn’t as important as some of the others, so it’s no big deal,” Vex shrugged, nudging Dean's body with her foot.

Katy growled, quickly jumping to her feet and grabbing Vex’s neck, “Don’t you  _ dare _ do, or say that again, do you hear me?” Her grip tightened, but the woman was unfazed and actually laughed.

“My dear,  _ you _ should be the one you’re angry at. It was you, after all, who killed him. And Sam is next.” Katy quickly pulled away, feeling the pain her chest again after Vex had disappeared. “If you can manage to  _ not _ kill them, little bug, you can fight me for the true prize.”

Sam had now appeared in the arena, having an almost identical reaction as Dean. “Katy? You look a little pale. Are you alright?” he asked, moving some hair away from her face so he could feel her forehead. He didn't see Dean lying only a few feet away and she was glad.

" _ No! No, no, no! Don’t make me do this! _ " Katy begged, her words heard only by herself and Vex.

“Then control it!” Vex snapped just as Katy had grabbed Sam’s arm, twisted it behind his back, and snapped it at the elbow, the limp bending in an unnatural position as he screamed in pain.

He shouted in pain. “What the hell?” he yelled, stumbling to his feet and rushing away from her in fear of another injury.

“You always run! I’m tired of it!” she snarled aloud, teleporting to the other side of Sam with her blade in hand and now bloody. Inside her mind, she whimpered.

It took only a moment for everything to kick in. Sam’s shriek of pain as he fell to the ground, his legs now cut off from the knee down.

" _ I’m so sorry! _ " Katy screamed, tears streaming from her face as she watched what was happening. There was nothing she could do.

“Katy, please listen to me!”

“Quiet!” she snapped, digging her sword into his head, killing him almost instantly.

Sam's body slumped to the ground and she stared listlessly at him. On the inside, she was thrashing and screaming. It was too much! Screams then escaped her mouth as she fell to her knees, mentally and physically exhausted.

Loki and Kate in Othos, who stood watch over her and made sure the spell went smoothly, jumped at the screams coming from Katy as she levitated close to the ground in a meditating position. The look on her face showed pain as tears came down her face and her body slightly shook.

“Kate! What’s happening? Is this supposed to happen?” Loki questioned. He wanted to rush to her aid, but he knew if he moved from his current spot, it would put her in even more danger. For all he knew, he could make things worse! Which was the last thing he wanted.

The two stood in circles connected to a bigger one in the center, where Katy was. Weird, intricate symbols were decorating Kate, Loki, and Katy’s skin, as well as inside the circles. The sun was starting to rise on day two of three.

“Don’t ask me! I’m not the one who knows magic!” Kate replied. She mainly kept her cool, but she was very worried about her friend.

Loki slowly turned his head and glared at the woman, dumbfounded by her answer. “You mean to say that you’re assisting me in a _ life-threatening _ ritual, and you are not trained in magic?” he yelled, groaning in frustration.

“No! I’m not, okay? Katy taught me what I needed to know to help her, and that’s it!”

The two continued to argue for another hour about their situation and Katy. Then they went quiet for a few hours, striking up a conversation the longer they stood together.

As the sun started to set on day two, Katy let out another scream and her body began to shake again, lowering closer to the ground. Her veins started to become visible and they blackened, starting at her hands and working its way through her body. As it progressed the two became even more worried for her. She wasn’t making progress, and if she didn’t complete the task, she’d die.

In her mind, at the center of her being, Katy was having the toughest time of her life. Her friends were dying… and she was the one killing them. All the people she's met across the universes and had a connection with… gone. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a shirtless man, a woman with black hair and a blue military uniform, a redheaded female in a black skintight suit, and so many others. Her friends, they were all dead. She felt her stomach roll and had she eaten anything, or could puke at all, she would have.

Vex sighed. “Wow, Katy. Kate too? You must not have cared for her as much as you thought you did,” Vex tisked as she spoke, shaking her head at Katy who was kneeling on the ground, body shaking and covered in blood.

Katy snapped her head around. “Enough! I’m tired of these games, Vex!”

Vex growled, appearing in front of Katy and grabbing her neck. Her eyes glowed again as she spoke in a dark tone. “Don’t kill him, and you won’t have to kill your own mother. I’ll make sure she's the most brutal of them all.” With that comment, Vex disappeared again to reveal Loki a few feet away. Katy had gotten used to the pain in her chest now. It was the emotional pain that hurt more.

“Iro? Where are we?” he asked.

Without a response, Katy had teleported to him and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him into the air. This was all too familiar. Katy screamed and hollered, but nothing was heard.

Loki gasped for air, his face starting to turn purple from lack of oxygen as he desperately tried to make her let go. “Put… me down…” he wheezed, eyes starting to bulge.

“Enough!” Katy screamed once more, now hearing the words through her ears and not just in her head as she let go of Loki, quickly teleporting to the other side of the arena and sliding down against the wall. “I won’t do that to him… I’m doing this shit  _ for _ him! I refuse to hurt him,” Katy spoke, breathing heavily as she stared down at her lap.

A clapping sounded and she flinched slightly. “Good job! You pass round one of two,” Vex smirked, standing above Katy with her arms crossed.

When Katy looked up, Loki was gone. She looked higher and matched Vex’s gaze, “What’s round two?” Her voice sounded emotionless, yet pained and resigned.

“You have to fight  _ me _ ,” she responded, the sky turning to day again as she prepared the arena for the fight. “Without your powers, though. You can have me when you earn me, got it?”

Katy gulped, groaning as she pulled herself back up to her feet. “Deal.”

In Othos, there were two minutes until noon, and Katy still wasn’t done. Kate and Loki’s worry growing by the second.

One minute.

20 seconds.

“God dammit!” Kate yelled, rushing towards the tree close by with the first aid kit. As soon as she left, the three felt a pain in their chest, and Katy fell limp to the ground, her body convulsing. 

“By Odin’s beard!” Loki exclaimed, quickly getting to Katy’s side, hoping just being there would help.

Kate rushed over and kneeled down. “Hold her still so I can give her these meds,” she explained, opening the bottle of medication and pouring ten pills into her hand.

“Wait!” Loki grabbed her wrist in alarm, keeping her hand away from Katy. “That will kill her.” That wasn't going to happen, not on his watch.

The woman rolled her eyes. “She’s a god, Loki. I doubt she’ll overdose.”

Loki stared at her intensely. Then gave her a nod, holding Katy down as Kate shoved pills down her throat followed by water to wash the dry capsules down. Only moments passed before she had stopped convulsing and the black veins started to disappear. Although, as the pills started to take effect, Katy’s hair turned pure white instead of its usual blonde. The pair shared a worried look.

10 agonizing minutes passed before Katy gasped, jumping into a sitting position and breathing heavily. Then she puked. Looking between Loki and Kate who both shared a sigh of relief, Katy pulled them both into a hug, a few tears falling down her face.

“I did it... Just barely, but I did it,” Katy whispered, finally letting go of the two.

Loki felt himself relax and sigh in relief. “Good to hear, but might I ask why the color change?” he asked, gesturing to her hair.

Katy responded by looking confused before pulling a lock of hair over her shoulder to investigate. The color startled her. Worried she might not actually be awake, she quickly got off the ground and ran towards the cars.

“Katy!” the two called, chasing after her.

It was a long-distance sprint to reach them and when she finally did, she looked in the mirror to see that she was, indeed, herself. Katy letting out her own sigh of relief. She was okay. She was awake. There was no reason to panic.

“Are you alright? What happened in there?” Kate questioned, reaching the woman first.

“I’m fine, not telling, and we need to get on to the next task.” Katy took a deep breath to calm her nerves, glancing over to Loki who looked worried. “Something the matter?”

“Yes. You just completed a three-day spell, and almost died in the process. Are you sure you’re up for something else?”

Katy took a breath, replying with a nod. “Yes, I’m sure. Now, we all need to get going. Kate, ride with us.” Katy told her friends, quickly hopping in the driver's seat. Without hesitation, her friends joined her in the vehicle before Katy sped down the path towards the military base.

“Woah!” Kate exclaimed, holding onto the handle above the door; more commonly known as the  _ ‘oh shit!’ _ handle. “Katy, slow down!”

“No can do.” Her eyes never left the road.

Loki sat in the passenger seat, also holding onto the handle but his attention was fixated on her. Why had her hair turned white? Why didn’t she change it back? What exactly happened in there to cause those reactions from her? Too many questions jumbled in his head and too little time to have them answered. But he couldn’t deny he was glad she was conscious once more.

Within minutes, the group arrived at the military base, all three jumping out and running inside, Katy in the lead. Katy was panting a little, all three exhausted from lack of nutrients. “Kate, I need you to prepare the troops and have Loki help you.”

“What about you?” Kate asked as the made their way down the halls towards the lab.

Scientists and soldiers alike moved out of their way as the trio steamrolled past them.

“I have friends to recruit and a spell to learn,” Katy replied when they reached the doors of the lab, all three having to catch their breath. “Be sure to get some food. It’s not healthy to skip that many meals.” Katy told them, a worried look in her eyes.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the girl. “And you?” He had a feeling he already knew the answer and he wasn’t sure if he liked it.

Katy hesitated, pulling some of her newly colored hair behind her ear. “I’ll eat, don’t worry.” She was lying. He knew she was. “See you two in about an hour. Make sure you’re prepared as well,” she gave them a small grin before rushing in through the lab doors, making Kyoya jump and turn around to face her. “Kyoya! The big one ready?”

A surprised look crossed his face but he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. When I come back, be sure to close the small portal get the big one up and running.”

“You got it,” Kyoya responded, typing in the coordinates for Katy’s destination. “Alright, we’re stable.”

Katy nodded, giving him a half-hearted salute as a response before she jumped through the portal.

After Katy had left, Kate sighed, slightly frustrated with the god. “Alright, Loki. Katy had something made for you. It’s in the safe at the castle, down in the basement,” Kate explained as she dug around her pocket for a piece of paper with a code on it, handing it to Loki. Before he could grab it, she pulled away a little, “ _ Please _ don’t take anything that isn’t yours.”

A grin snuck onto Loki’s face. She obviously knew about his skill set. “I won’t.” With that, Kate handed him the paper. “I’ll return shortly.”

While he was gone, Kate sounded the alarm, causing the entire base to burst into a frenzy of scattered soldiers going to their designated positions and loading onto the helicarriers Katy had their engineers build. While they were loading, Kate rushed towards the dragons  _ ‘lairs’ _ to get them loaded as well. Hestia’s assistance in the task would be invaluable.

In Magnolia, the home of the Fairy Tail guild, Katy rushed through the doors and as the doors hit the walls everyone’s attention turned to her.

“Iro? Is everything alright?” Makarov asked, standing on the bar in the process. “What happened to your hair? It’s white.”

Katy chuckled a little, trying to catch her breath yet again. “It’s a long story,” she stated, taking one deep breath before continuing. “No, everything isn’t alright.” That comment caused everyone to go quiet, waiting for her to continue. “I need you to teach me fairy law so I can save everyone.”

The guild’s silence was deafening. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m a hundred percent serious right now. If I can’t cast that spell, there’s a chance that everyone, not just in my universe, will die. I don’t want that to happen, even if it kills me.”

“Iro… you know what can happen when you use that spell without years of training…”

“My god!” she groaned as she ran a hand through her hair, frustrated by the delay. “I do! I just need you to teach me. I’ll worry about the consequences later.”

Makarov hesitated, looking around at all the guild members in the hope of seeing some kind of reaction. There was none and he sighed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll teach you.” Katy nodded in relief, thanking the man. “ _ However _ , if this is something that could threaten my children here, then we’re going to help.”

Katy was quiet, staring wide-eyed at him. Was he serious? “You do know what that means, yes?”

“Of course we do!” Natsu, the pink-haired hot head interrupted, bumping his fists together with a grin on his face. “This will be a great fight, Iro! Just let us help.”

Katy couldn’t help but grin at his comment, giving in to their stubbornness.

Back in Othos, Loki had just gotten to the safe and gone inside, looking for his items that were said to be there. He ignored the various trinkets doodle-bobs in favor of finding what was his. Down on the bottom, there was a chest with his name on it. “Whatever could you be?” he mumbled, pulling the heavy box out from under the shelf. When he opened it, on the very top was a new helmet with his signature horns. He pulled the helmet out and set it to the side. Next were duel daggers. They were much longer than what he had used on Asgard, but were a little smaller than swords. The two were meant to go on his back when not in use. Attached to them was a note.

_ For the fighter who doesn’t use shitty butter knives as weapons. _

_ ~Iro _

Another grin crept on his face and a chuckle escaped his lips as he read her words. Taking out the weapons, he pulled out the outfit. It was a black skin-tight suit of flexible armor, decorated in emerald green and gold with a green cape attached. He was grateful for the new attire, not even bothering to leave the safe before changing into it. The suit fit him perfectly and was very comfortable. The design reminded him of both his most recent attire during Ragnarok, and his attire back in New York years prior.

After he had changed, he hurried out of the safe to return to the base and assist Kate in preparations. “Need any more help?” he asked the woman who was now also in her own suit of armor. Unknown to him it was the very armor she’d used to take back the kingdom from Vortigern.

Kate whistled, looking him up and down before chuckling. “Well, I see why Katy wanted you to wear that.” Kate grinned at the confused look on Loki’s face. “I’m fine right now. We’re just waiting for Katy to come back.”

Loki nodded, staying quiet as the two walked towards the helicarriers. He knew there was an army, but he had no idea they were so prepared for what was to come. How long had Katy known about this? Perhaps she was a seer like the witches his mother had been raised by.

As the two were walking up the ramp of the main helicarrier, they heard Katy’s voice coming from behind. Loki was the first to turn around, spotting the white-haired girl headed their way. She was now also wearing a skin-tight suit that was identical to Loki’s, but with no cape. Her signature sword was on her hip and her hair was tied back into a ponytail. A pink tint creeping onto his cheeks as he watched her.

“Hey! So you found your suit,” Katy smiled, almost skipping into the carrier. “Does it fit okay?”

It took a moment for Loki to answer. After shaking his head, he cleared his throat, “Oh, yes I did. Thank you.”

Katy nodded. Within seconds, her eyes had darkened with determination and she blew a whistle, signaling the carriers to close the bay doors and lift into the air and through the portal. Walking over to the side of the carrier, she pressed a button to speak to Kyoya over the comm system, “Send us through. Don’t forget the guild hall is joining, so have them enter with the ground unit.”

“ _ Yes, Ma’am. Sending you through. _ ” Kyoya intoned. He muted his device and reached over to flick a few switches and press a few buttons before giving orders to those on standby.

Just outside the barriers of Wakanda, T’Challa’s army, and all the other Avengers were already in the heat of the battle. Thor, Rocket, and Groot were already there. The aliens swarming their position were starting to overcome them. It was a difficult battle.

“Are you okay?” Wanda asked, worry laced in her voice as she rushed up to Vision who currently was leaning up against a log, hand on his wounds. The man groaned in pain, the Infinity Stone in his forehead glowing and pulsing, sensing the others close by. “What is it?” she asked again.

Vision looked around, eyes wide before returning his gaze to his beloved. “He’s here,” he whispered, horror lacing his voice. They’d run out of time.

Leaves blew from the trees as the wind howled and the ground rumbled, drawing Steve’s attention. “Everyone, on my position. We have incoming.”

“What the hell?” Natasha mumbled. She looked around for the source and couldn’t spot their enemy. Where was he?

A crack of lightning broke the sound barrier and those who could turned to stare at the two portals opening up; one in the air and the other on the ground. The Othos ground team was the first to join the battle. It wasn’t just the military letting out a battle cry, but also the Fairy Tail guild. As everyone traveled through the portals, Katy had given them a pep talk, striking up the cheers for blood.

“We are going to strike down our enemy who dares threaten our existence!” she’d said. “Thanos and his army will not take our loved ones away!” Cheers and yells had rung throughout the helicarriers and the vehicles moving on the ground. “Today is not the day we lose to some genocide maniac. For us! For Othos! For the world!”

A cacophony of yells and cheers sounded all around her and she grinned. Not bad for her first battle cry. She looked down at the forest and grinned. Katy reached over and pressed a few buttons on the display next to her, tapping into the comms of the Wakandan assault below.

“Any know who these guys are?” Steve asked.

“They are not Wakandan,” T’Challa responded immediately.

“ _ Miss me? _ ” A familiar voice spoke through everyone's earpieces, causing a smile to appear on Steve and Natasha’s faces. “ _ I brought some friends. Leave Thanos to me. You are not to intervene under any circumstances. _ ” Katy’s voice was stern and demanding, something new to the group.

Steve chuckled at the answer, replying with a, “Yes, ma'am.”

As the bay door opened (the helicarrier still moving to the landing position), Katy walked up to edge, eyes stone-cold with anger and determination as she glared down to the spot in which Thanos would shortly appear. Loki stood only a few feet behind her, studying her and waiting for her to say something. Anything.

“Katy? My orders?”

Katy shook her head, snapping out of her daze and looking over to Loki, staring at him for what seemed like ages.  _ Just do it,  _ said her inner voice that sounded suspiciously like Shia LaBeouf.

“Ya know, Loki,” she began, walking towards him. “I do feel safe with you. And I do have feelings.”

As she reached him, she grabbed his suit and pulled him into a kiss. Her eyes squeezed shut and she felt his mouth move against her, causing warmth to spread through her. Loki was shocked and froze when she kissed him. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to bring her closer or get away and he didn’t have the chance to think it through before Katy pulled away, leaving the dumbfounded god in her wake.

“Your only order is not to die. Or I’ll kill you.” She grinned, walking back over to the edge, and standing with her back towards the opening. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let herself fall off, falling through the sky with Hestia hot on her heels to catch her rider.

As Loki watched her leave, he heard a long whistle behind him. Knowing exactly who it was, he sighed in frustration, turning to look at Kate who had a smirk on her face. He pointe a single finger at her. “ _ Not a word, Winchester. _ ”

Bruce, in the HulkBuster, turned at the sound of a portal opening. Instead of Katy’s team coming through as he’d hoped, it was Thanos who emerged from the gray smoke and blue electrical surges. “Cap,” he said, “that’s him.”

Steve took a breath, activating his Wakandan shield once again. “Get Vision and everyone else out of harm's way. I’ll distract him,” Steve commanded, keeping his eyes on Thanos. “Go!”

Bruce hesitated, but when he was yelled at, he rushed over to Wanda and Vision, picking them both up and running in the opposite direction, “Everyone run!” Bruce called. The group took his advice and set off, Steve following close behind him.

As Steve was throwing the first punch, he was tackled by Katy, and Thanos was picked up and distanced a few feet away by Hestia before she flew off again towards safety.

Steve looked up at the god in shock. “Katy?” She had looked different from what he had remembered. Her hair had been bleached white, her eyes looked much like a color wheel, and it seemed as if she was much younger, a little heavier set too.

“I fucking told you to run!” she snarled, jumping to her feet and pushing him away in the direction of the others. “I’ll handle this.”

He gave her a doubtful look, worried that she’d get hurt. She was only one person. How was she supposed to handle him on her own? Goddess or not, Thanos had most of the Infinity Stones. “Don’t die, Katy.”

She didn’t respond, standing only with her back towards him and a sword gripped so tight in her hand it made her knuckles turn white. He hesitated a moment longer before he took off after his comrades.

“Iro,” Thanos sighed in frustration, clenching his fists as he walked up to the small goddess. “I’ve heard much about you from rumor, and I must admit I did not foresee you joining this battle against me.”

Katy only grinned, twirling her sword around as she walked closer to him, “Oh, I’m not just joining the battle. I’m ending it, and you, right here.”

With that, the small talk was over and they charged one another. When her sword met his gauntlet, the metals causing a spark and setting the nearby trees on fire, and the sound ringing across the sky. It could be heard all throughout Wakanda. Some soldiers without an alien stopped to ponder what the sound was before resuming the battle.

Next, Katy blocked his next attack and got behind him, slicing across his back and causing him to hiss from the pain. Only moments passed and Katy had missed, giving him the opportunity to strike her across the face, sending her rolling a few feet away. The woman groaned in pain, slowly pushing herself up onto one knee and wiping the blood away from her mouth as she looked to Thanos.

“Now, for the last piece,” Thanos hummed, attempting to create a portal to go and get Vision. When the attempt failed, the titan furrowed his eyebrows and turned his hand over, seeing that the space stone was missing. He then snapped his head over towards Katy.

Once Katy had his attention, she chuckled. Then she pulled down one of her lower eyelids and stuck out her tongue in a mocking manner. But there on her tongue, was the Space Stone. Thanos scowled and marched forward only for Katy to swallow the Stone. Her eyes began to glow and morph into an electric blue that matched the power of the Tesseract.

“You’re more troublesome than that Asgardian!” He picked her up by the throat, Katy wheezing as his grip began to tighten. “I’ll dig the Stone from your corpse if I have to.” He began to dig his fingers into Katy’s abdomen, her screams echoing through the trees.

“Katy!” There was no reply other than screaming. “I’m coming! Hang on,” Loki called to her.

He stood upon the saddle on Hestia’s back before grabbing the cable attached and jumping off. Branches smacked him on the way down and Hestia kept on going. He came upon her position just in time to see Thanos lift her off the ground and throw her into a large boulder, a resounding crack echoing in his ears.

Katy gasped and blood fell from her mouth as she impacted the large rock, a crack forming from top to bottom before she went limp, lying face down on the ground. Loki snarled and let go of the cable. He slid on the ground, blades drawn and sliced along Thanos’ calves. Thanos groaned in pain and turned around to punch him.

Katy’s ears were ringing and she could barely hear the sound of Loki’s blades colliding with Thanos’ gauntlet in the background. Pushing herself up a little, she looked over to see what was happening but her vision was too blurry for her to make it out. Groaning from the pain, she struggled, but managed to pull herself up on her feet, standing in a position to keep herself steady. “Thanos!” she shouted, causing both parties to stop and look towards her. “The only god here is  _ me _ . And this? This is where the sun shines on us again.”

Loki gave her a curious look and Thanos scowled. Then the woman clapped her hands together, a burst of energy flowing outward in every direction. Loki gasped and covered his eyes, and as the force continued outwards, so did everyone else.

When the light dissipated, all of the enemies, on earth and in space, had turned gray; falling limp to the ground. Katy and the others were standing, but Katy was frozen like a statue, eyes staring sightlessly at the ground. Her hair was a jumbled mess, strands falling around her face, from the ponytail they’d once been contained in.

“Katy, you did it!”

Finally, she had dropped her arms, looking over in Loki’s direction, but it was as if she was looking  _ through  _ him rather than  _ at  _ him. Her eyes were almost lifeless and blood dripped from them like she had been crying the red liquid. The smile of relief on the trickster’s face was instantly replaced by a look of concern.

Somehow, the woman who could barely manage to stand started walking - no, stumbling - toward the place she knew everyone else was gathered, seemingly in some trance. “I… I need to help,” she mumbled. “I need to help… my people.”

Loki took a few hesitant steps forward. “Katy? Talk to me.”

She groaned in pain, grabbing the right side of her head as pain erupted and smearing the blood. “They’re in pain, I hear their cries,” she mumbled again, Loki gently touching her shoulder. “Get away!” she screamed, pushing him away and almost losing her balance.

“Iro!” Loki tried again, the girl gasped and stared straight ahead, eyes wide. She was frozen in place once again, but only for a moment before coughing up a lot of blood, along with the Space Stone before collapsing to the ground. “Iro!”

* * *

_ Beep. Beep. Beep. _

The horrible sound kept ringing in Katy’s ears, driving her to the point of madness. It was all she heard and boy was it annoying.

“For crying out loud, someone stop that god awful noise before I kill myself.”

There was a soft scoff next to her, the man shaking his head a bit. “We just saved you after your last attempt. Could you please refrain from that?”

The quiet voice of the raven-haired Asgardian made her grin at the comfort she felt from it. Before long, his words finally clicked in her head. Eyes wide, she turned her head to look at him. The emerald eyes normally filled with mischief and curiosity were currently dark and tired, and the bags under his eyes didn’t compliment them one bit. His eyes were fixated on hers.

“Loki?” Katy was surprised that he was here and it made her happy to see his face first, even if he did look like shit.

“Good morning, Katy. How are you feeling?” He stood from his chair and walked over to her bed, sitting next to her legs on the bed. His movements were sluggish and stiff, almost like he had just woken up from a nap.

“I feel fine, thank you,” she gave him a grin, trying to sit up but groaning from the internal pain. On the outside, she seemed fine. The inside was where most of the damage was.

“Here, let me help.” Loki stood once more, placing one hand on her back and taking her hand with the other, pulling her up as gently as he could. Though she still groaned and winced. Once she was successfully up, he placed some pillows behind her to lean on. “Better?” he asked, sitting back down after she nodded.

The longer she was awake, the more she remembered from the most recent events. Although the one memory that kept bouncing around was what had happened on the helicarrier. The thought made her face turn red and her attention snapped to her lap, an awkward silence hanging in the air as she could feel his eyes still fixated on her.

“Thank you for stepping in, Loki,” she finally spoke, looking up at him with a small grin.

What she was hoping would happen, did, in fact, go according to plan. Loki grinned, shaking his head a little at her words. “No need to thank me, Katy. I had my reasons.” When he finished talking, he cursed himself in his head, turning to look at the door. The awkward silence falling over them again.

Katy sighed, looking out the window as she tried to come up with something to talk about. “Did Stark-” she was cut off by Loki’s cold hands cupping her face and pulling her into his lips.

She gasped slightly into the kiss, the action taking her by surprise. It didn’t take her more than a moment to relax into his touch, closing her eyes as she returned the kiss and feeling how their lips moved in sync. Though his lips were cold, they were also soft and somehow made her feel warm inside. Time seemed to slow and she wished the moment would last forever.

When he pulled away, they rested their foreheads on one another, both letting out a breath they didn’t even know they were holding. He dropped one hand to support himself as he leaned closer to her, his right hand still cupping her face as his thumbed gently rubbed her cheek. “Please worry about yourself for once,” he whispered, pulling away only far enough to look into her eyes again, their faces mere inches apart.

Katy scoffed, the smile appearing on her face again as she directed her eyes to her lap once more, but she didn’t retreat from his touch. “Loki… It’s not in my nature to put myself first, it never has been.” Her voice was small, like she had made herself vulnerable with him.

“Well, maybe you should take a lesson or two from me, min skjebne.” The two chuckled at his response, Loki kissing her once more before there was a knock on the door and the two pulled away. Loki stood with his arms behind his back. When the door opened, it was Stark’s face that popped in first.

“May we come in?” The door was only cracked, but Katy figured she knew who would be coming in.

“Yeah, you don’t have to ask for permission, Tony,” Katy chuckled, adjusting a little more with another groan, causing Loki’s attention to go back to her, worried she might need help again. But he was dismissed with a shake of her head.

Tony, Stephen, and both Peters walked through the door. While the others went towards Katy to talk with her, Quill stayed by the door with his arms crossed, not wanting any part of the conversation. His actions earned a glare from the god at the end of her bed. It was then that she realized that Loki wasn’t only there to wait for her to wake up. He was acting as a guard, which she found adorable.

“How are you, Tony? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Katy asked in a worried tone, glancing over at Loki and then back to the others, giving them all a smile.

He shook his head. “We’re fine, Katy. And we came to thank you for doing what you did. I don’t know what would have happened if you didn’t.”

“But you did, didn’t you?” Stephen asked, crossing his arms. He had heard stories about her, but wasn’t sure what to expect or think when meeting the woman. “How, exactly?”

Katy’s smile faded as she looked over to Stephen, hesitating to answer. “That’s complicated. But the short answer is that I’m a goddess.” Exactly when, or how, could she tell them that in another universe they were only fictional characters? It wouldn't go over well with any of them.  _ Well _ , she thought consideringly,  _ perhaps Parker and Stephen would be fine with it _ .

“If you knew what was going to happen, why didn’t you step in earlier before Gamora was murdered?” Quill spoke up, earning glares from both Tony and Loki.

“I wasn’t able-”

“No!” he barked, grinding his teeth. “You weren’t able to?  _ More like you didn’t _ . So why didn’t you step in earlier and save her? Why don’t you bring her back now if you’re this all-powerful goddess, Katy! We counted on you! She trusted you!” He was now closer to the group, almost like he was going to hit her or grab her shirt and shake her like a ragdoll from being blinded by his emotions.

She honestly couldn't blame him. Losing a loved one often sent people into rages that would normally never happen. Katy knew she'd be no better than Quill. In fact, she'd done the exact same thing when she threatened Zeus. Rage, devastation, terror… she knew he was feeling it all.

“That’s enough, Quill!” Tony raised his voice as Loki had put a hand on Quill’s chest, holding him away from Katy. “She did what she could to save us, Peter. She’s strong but she can only do so much.”

Quill shook his head. “You saw the scene she made! If she was able to kill all of those aliens single-handedly, why couldn’t she bring back one person? That’s all I’m asking here! Is that too much to ask?” he demanded, throwing his hands in the air as he scoffed at her reasoning.

“Okay - you’re leaving,” Loki interrupted, grabbing Quill and dragging him out of the room, the man protesting the whole way out.

The door slammed behind them and the room was silent, an awkward aura hanging over the group as they listened to Quill and Loki arguing, Loki defending Katy in the conversation.

“So,” Tony coughed, finally breaking the ice in the room and drawing Katy’s attention. “When’s the wedding?” A smirk spread across his face as Katy’s heated up. He found it funny when she was flustered.

She looked away. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh shut up, Katy," he groaned. "You’ve had a thing for him since New York. Plus, Kate told us about the little scene you caused on the helicarrier before you did a leap of faith off the bay door.” Her face only grew to a brighter shade of red the more he spoke, Katy fidgeting with her fingers. Before she could respond, they all jumped as Loki yelled at Quill outside the room.

“For Christ’s sake,” Katy groaned in frustration and pain as she pushed herself up off the bed, Peter and Stephen trying to get her to lay back down, but to no avail as she pushed herself by with a hand on her abdomen and a hand on the wall to balance herself. With Parker opening the door for her, she made her way out of the room with her weight against the wall.

“Enough!” she interrupted the two, Loki quickly moving to help her stand and telling her that she needed to go back to bed, which she ignored. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help Quill, I really am. When I’m healed, I’ll see what I can do to bring her back.”

“When you’re healed?” Quill scoffed again. “She’s been dead for almost  _ two weeks _ already! I doubt she can be brought back at all! You should have done it when you had a chance.” He mumbled the last comment, crossing his arms and turning his back towards her. It was obvious Loki was pissed, judging by his grip tightening on her.

All of a sudden, a wave of dizziness hit Katy, the rise in blood pressure probably being the cause. Adjusting a little, she gripped onto Loki, quietly calling his name before she had passed out again, Quill also rushing to help. Despite his anger, she was still a friend and he did worry for her.

After another week in the hospital, Katy was told she could return to her daily work but to take it easy. Of course, she said she would, but no one actually knew how much she would listen. Who was going to stop her when she wanted a latte that didn't come from the disgusting cafeteria? Certainly not them.

When she had a moment of peace, finally sneaking away from Loki for a solid five minutes, she called for Chuck, hoping he’d take her to his little bar. Her wish was granted when she found herself standing next to the man.

Chuck stopped his typing and looked up at her, slipping off his reading glasses and setting them on the booth’s table, gesturing for Katy to sit as he did so. “What now, Katy? I was in the middle of working on my autobiography.”

“Good to see you too, Chucky,” Katy said as she gave a grin, sliding into the seat across from him and resting her elbows on the table. 

“Please don’t call me Chucky, you know I hate those movies.”

“I have a request. I doubt you’ll say yes, but I wanted to ask.”

He didn’t respond, but only gestured for her to continue. “You want me to bring someone back to life?” he raised his eyebrows, surprised that she was actually asking this. Even with Seraphim and Alkestis, she didn’t ask to have them brought back. What was different this time?

“Yes. In exchange for my illusions, if you’ll allow it, that is.” Luckily, spending all that time with Sam gave her time to practice his famous puppy dog eyes that always worked on Dean. Why not try them on God and see if he would be weak to it as well?

Chuck groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed. “I like how you know that using your powers won’t work on me, so you’re using your eyes,” he chuckled, shaking his head at her.

Katy let down the act, a smile appearing on her face. “Like it? I learned it from Sammy, figured it was worth a shot to try.” She laughed, leaning back in the seat as a serious look appeared on her face again. “I mean it though, my request. If you’ll allow it, it would mean a lot to me.”

He was quiet for a moment, typing a couple of words on his computer. “Alright, I’ll do it.” He snapped his fingers, giving Katy a smile. “You can no longer cast illusions, this is your permanent appearance. Your friend is alive and back with her group. Happy?”

Katy squealed, quickly getting up and going to give him a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Yeah yeah!” He gently pushed her, chuckling slightly “go on, you have stuff to do.” Chuck snapped his fingers once more and Katy was back at the base in her office, Loki rushing into the room only moments after.

“Katy! I’ve been looking all over for you. Are you alright? Any pain?” Loki rushed up to her, cupping her face and looking her over for any injuries. The only thing visible was her signature scar.

“I’m fine, Loki,” she chuckled, giving him a small peck before pulling away. "I brought Gamora back.”

Loki only crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at her. “What did you do?” he asked, a suspicious tone in his voice.

Katy chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck and looking away from him. “I gave up my Illusions…”

“ _ You what? _ ” Loki shouted, sighing after. “Katy, those were important to you.”

“Yeah, I know. But Chuck let me keep the main illusion, I just can’t take it down anymore. This is how I’ll always look now.”

Loki’s eyes slightly darkened as a small smirk spread across his lips. “I’m not complaining,  _ min skjebne _ .” His voice was deep and lustful, making Katy laugh a little.

“Not yet, my love.” She gently flicked his forehead before walking out to take care of some tasks. During her few weeks of absence, the stacks of paperwork were piling high. There were still many long nights ahead of her, but they were no problem.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a killer chapter. Sorry (not sorry) Lumos! :p  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> Not compared to a few others I've worked on. I was just stubborn and didn't feel like editing.  
> ~ Lumos


	17. Comic Caught-Ya!

Katy’s winter break after her first semester was a little bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. Before the semester had ended, she turned eighteen and got her first tattoo: her mom’s handwriting from the birthday card she had sent her. When she got home for the winter, she was only there for a matter of days before she, her mom, and a few others drove to Florida to hand out donations to victims of the hurricane. 

Now, to understand the first loop on her ride, you have to understand what had happened a year prior. The town she lived in was also hit by a hurricane. After the storm had subsided, her family began handing out donations to the needy. They even offered their home to friends who had lost their homes. During that time, they met an elderly gentleman named Terry. They swore he was an angel in disguise. The kind-hearted, quiet man had been living with them ever since. 

Back to current day, mid December of twenty-eighteen, Katy and the others were busy wrapping gifts for the children of families who couldn’t afford to buy Christmas that year. Everyone was exhausted from the long day’s work, so a phone call from her mom’s fiance saying that Terry had had an accident wasn’t a good addition. He had fallen down the stairs and hit his head, causing internal bleeding. 

Once Katy and her family had arrived home, they spent Christmas day going to visit him in the hospital. It made everything even harder to see him in the state he was in, and to know that his children hadn’t even come to see him yet. Of course, they weren’t angry with them, just a little disappointed. After they had said their goodbyes, they went back home to open presents and have dinner. The next day, December twenty-sixth, Terry had passed away. The death was hardest on her mom, but she also felt a sting in her heard from his passing. 

That weekend, only three days after, the last loop in Katy’s rollercoaster came. Her mom was getting married! It was a small wedding, but very cute and rustic, which fit her mom perfectly. The bride rode in on her horse, which stressed out Katy and her brother a shitton. They both walked her mom up and gave her away with their lab as the ring bearer. 

After winter break was over, Katy and her friend from the Netherlands returned to the university. Katy first dropped off her friends and then went back to where the convention was going to be. Luckily, the university wasn't too far, so she would be able to enjoy the whole weekend and return for her morning classes. 

_ “Hey my Katy-bug! How are you?” _   Her mom chirped through the phone. It had been a couple hours since she had heard from Katy and she was getting a tad worried. 

“Hey mom!” Katy was currently walking into the hotel that the convention was being held in, a spring in her step as she got closer. “I’m good, just got to the convention center. It’s at the same place as the Supernatural convention was at!” As she approached the doors, she dug through her purse for her ticket. Once she was inside, the chatter of the crowd grew louder the closer she got to the convention portion of the hotel.  

_ “Oh that’s great, honey! I’m glad you got there safely.” _ A smile was obviously planted on her face, excited for her daughter’s adventure.  _ “I’ll let you go, it sounds busy. Love you!” _

“Love you too!” With that, the ladies hung up and Katy went to start her first day at the convention. 

The booths and cosplayers were one of the best things she saw. There were plenty of people dressed as characters from Supernatural and the Marvel universe. She laughed to herself; she'd met the characters they pretended to be. Of course, there were others who displayed as game characters, anime characters, and mythical creatures. 

At the end of the day, Katy’s feet were killing her to the point of burning if she sat down. On the plus side, she enjoyed the panels by some pretty famous celebrities that she was excited to see, also getting the chance to have a photo op with them. After the crowd had died down some, she did her shopping and got some pretty cool merchandise; one of her favorites being the Loki themed leather jacket. 

Saturday was the day she was looking forward to the most. Even with the lack of sleep from the night before, she woke up early to make sure her hair and makeup were done and that her outfit matched. Yes, she normally wore things that made her more comfortable, but today she was going to get to meet Tom Hiddleston! Her favorite celebrity at this convention, the main reason behind her being here. 

Once she was ready and content with the way she looked, she took her time heading downstairs to get something to eat. After breakfast, she gave another look around the vendor room to see if there was anything else she was wanting, picking up a picture of Loki for Tom to sign. Even though the line was longer than the path to hell, She went ahead and jumped in line for autographs before it was too long for them to get through. 

For two hours she passed the time by scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest. Every now and then a friend would text or call so she would of course reply or pick it up. Although, once she was only third in line, she put her phone away and started tapping her foot impatiently, the nervousness finally hitting her. 

_ One left, then me. Oh god, what if I say the wrong thing and freak him out? Shut up Katy, you’re making it weird.  _

“Miss? Please step up, you’re next,” a kind lady dressed in red told her, a smile on her face as she gestured for Katy to walk up. 

She did so and smiled awkwardly. “Hello, Mr. Hiddleston. How are you?” Katy’s posture was stiff. She was so nervous, she couldn’t even register that her feet were moving. 

When Tom looked up, he stared at her for a moment before giving her a smile. “Please, call me Tom. Who should I write this too?” he asked, eyes focused on hers. The look he gave her was almost like he was looking at an old friend. When she gave him her name, he glanced at the tattoo on her forearm before looking down at the photo to sign it, writing something extra that Katy couldn’t make out upside down. “I like your tattoo, Katy. Very sweet of you.” Once he finished writing, he handed the picture to her with a smile on his face. 

The blush from Katy’s ears moved to cover her whole face when he spoke to her, butterflies disturbing the peace in her stomach. “Oh, thank you very much! I just got it a few months ago.” 

_ Katy you idiot, he doesn’t care when you got it! _

“Well congratulations. Is it in her handwriting?” Katy only nodded, a large smile lighting up her face. “That’s very interesting. Make sure to enjoy the rest of your day, Katy," he gave one more smile before giving her a small wave as a send off.

“Thank you, have a nice day!” Katy also waved back, noticing that he had turned to Luke, his handler, and whispered something to him shortly after. Once she was out of the way of traffic, but still close to where Tom’s table is, she turned her attention to the autograph, smiling like a kid in a candy store. 

_ To Katy, ‘It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.’  _

_ Love, Tom. _

Reading the line, her smile quickly faded and the blood rushed to her ears, causing everything to go silent. She was completely frozen, stuck in a state of shock. She was so infatuated with her thoughts that she jumped when a man touched her shoulder, her autograph in his hands as he offered it to her. She recognized the man as Luke. 

“Excuse me, Miss. Are you Kathryn Hart?” She nodded, eyes wide as she focused on him. “Please come with me, Mr. Hiddleston would like to see you when he’s on his break,” he spoke quietly, obviously not wanting anyone to hear the conversation. 

Once she was in the back room, he left her to return to his boss while she paced like a caged beast across the room, the panic finally showing on the outside, now that she was alone. Holding true to her nature, she was hyperventilating, biting her nails, pulling her hair, and getting emotional the more she thought about the situation. 

She was yanked from her thoughts once more when she heard the door close, jumping as she turned her head to see none other than Tom himself, giving her a smile. “Katy? Are you alright? You look stressed…” he had a worried look on his face as he approached her, the girl only staring and shaking her head in disbelief. 

“ _ Stressed? _ Oh, Thomas that’s an understatement!” 

Tom chuckled a little, a small grin appearing on his face. “I can clarify things, if you’d like.” 

Katy nodded. “Please do! I mean, you’re Loki? Why the hell haven’t you said anything to me before now, Tom?” she exclaimed. “I mean, you know Loki like the back of your hand, how could you not realize that I wasn’t supposed to be in that universe? Plus, I stopped Thanos! You know that wasn’t supposed to happen the way it did!” Katy spoke fast, almost like she was doing it all on one breath and not giving Tom any time to respond. 

Groaning a little, he scratched his beard, making sure to keep his eyes on her while she talked. The rest of what she said he had tuned out, mentally slapping himself for what he was about to do. Without further hesitation, he gently cupped Katy’s face in his hands, placing a gentle kiss on her lips, eyes squeezed shut as he did so. A gasp escaped Katy, shock filling her every being with is actions, but she gave in, returning the kiss. When she did, the worry left Tom and most of the panic left Katy. She was much calmer, lost in the moment. 

When he pulled away, he dropped his hands but remained mere inches from the girl in front of him, chuckling a little as she covered her beet red face. After giving her a moment to process what had happened, he gently took hold of her hands and pulled them away from her face, making her look at him. “I apologize for my forwardness, Darling, but that was the only way I could think of to get you to focus.” 

She was quiet for a moment, studying his eyes and he hers. “You could have slapped me. I wouldn’t have pressed charges.” When he laughed at the comment, a small smile appeared on her face before she sat down, the dizziness of the situation finally hitting her. “Please explain why you never told me.” She sat with her hands in her lap, a sad look on her face as her eyes followed his movements, the man sitting next to her. 

“Ah, where do I start?” he sighed, chuckling a little. “Well, a few years ago, I went to sleep and thought I was only having a dream. The dream was that I was Loki, but I couldn’t exactly control what I was saying. When we saw you, or Iro I should say, come into the cell on the helicarrier, I knew that you weren’t supposed to be there and just figured you were part of my imagination.” Katy snorted a little, finding the comment ironic. “Although Loki seemed to know you, so I just went along with it. After New York, we never saw you again until Ragnarok happened only this past November. Although, Loki thought about you a lot between that time. He’ll never tell you that though.” Tom nudged her shoulder, giving the girl a smile to try and lighten things up.

“When you took Loki to Othos and explained everything, it finally clicked with me that I was also, in a way, also experiencing the same thing as whoever this girl was. Whenever you dropped the illusions, Loki and I both memorized every feature of you, even down to that -” he leaned over, tapping a very tiny scar above her eye that her brother had caused when they were children, “- little scar there.” 

“So… how did you know it was me? Aside from my looks, which I do appreciate that you don’t think I look… horrible,” she chuckled half-heartedly, rubbing the back of her neck as she spoke.

The comment she made about herself stung him slightly, but he gave a smile nonetheless. “Well, you were too busy to realize in Othos, but when you’d drop the illusion you would show your tattoo as well. Also your name kinda gave it away too.” He chuckled softly at the end, eyes locked on her. He couldn’t believe that, after all these years, he finally found the girl in his dreams, literally. 

Before Katy had a chance to respond, Luke had knocked on the door, telling Tom that he needed to come out now. After replying with a simple  _ ‘okay’ _ , he turned back to Katy who seemed like she was still freaking out a bit. 

“Hey,” he whispered, placing two fingers below her chin to make her look at him. Once her attention was focused on him, he gave her a soft smile, moving his fingers to caress her cheek. “I’d like to talk to you about this more, Darling, but my break is over.” She nodded, which he returned before standing and taking her hand to help her stand. “Please give Luke your number and I’ll get in touch later, okay?” 

“Yeah, that’s fine. What exactly do you want to talk about though? Why me?” The happy look that was on her face earlier was replaced with a sadness in her eyes. Her mind was getting to her, which made Tom a little nervous. 

“Because -” he gave her a small kiss on the forehead, before opening the door to let her walk out, “I’ve been looking for you for years, Katy. I’m not gonna let you slip through my fingers unless that’s what you really want. But please, just think about this and I’ll text you later.” Tom gave a small smile and another small wave before rushing back to the table to continue working on the autographs. He was eager to talk with her. 

“Mom!” Katy shouted into the phone, slamming the room door closed behind her as she rushed into the room, ignoring the muffled yelling from her hotel neighbors. 

“ _ Honey? Something the matter? You sound out of breath, _ ” her mom sounded worried, which was to be expected with the way Katy had answered her phone. 

“You won’t believe - wait,” she hesitated, clearing her throat a little before continuing, “I uh, I need to ask you about something… it’s about, uh… a possible date, if I’m lucky.” She was blushing like a mad man the more she spoke. How the hell was she supposed to tell her mom that someone in their 30’s possibly wanted to go on a date with her? Let alone that they actually kissed her! Although, she wasn’t gonna tell her that part. 

“ _ Oh? _ ” her mom drug out the word, a smirk in her voice. “ _ What’s the name of this possible date? _ ” 

“Well, his name is Tom. But - uh, you like to call him  _ ‘Hiddlesbum’ _ .” 

Her mom was silent for a moment, which made Katy’s heart race.  _ Oh god, what is she gonna say! She’s gonna say no. I feel it! _

“ _ Well, keep me posted with what happens, okay? You know how I worry _ .” 

Hold the phone. “What?” 

“ _ You’re an adult, Katy. Yes, it does worry me a little bit with the age, but I’m basing my decision on what you’ve shown me and told me about him. So why not give it a shot? See if it actually goes well!”  _

Her mom’s response just wasn’t clicking in her head. She was dumbfounded! Her mom, was actually, decently, okay with what her daughter had told her. Once it did register, Katy’s heart did a little excited jump in her chest. After a repeated thank you, she started getting a call on the hotel line, so she had to hang up. 

When she answered, she was told that someone was asking for her room number and that they needed permission to send them up. Of course, Katy gave them the a-okay before rushing around the room to make it cleaner. Then she rushed to the bathroom to freshen up her makeup and brush her teeth, you know, just in case. 

Before long, there was a knock on the door. When she rushed over, she hesitated, her hand just above the door handle and shaking. With a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, opening the door and giving the handsome actor a bright smile before inviting him inside. 

“So, um… what exactly did you want to talk about?” Katy was starting to panic again as she walked to the desk chair, letting her guest have the comfortable bed. 

It didn’t seem to just be her who felt nervous. Tom was rubbing his hands on his jeans just before he sat down, probably trying to dry off his palms. “Well, I was hoping to convince you to give this a chance.” he chuckled a little, picking at his fingers as he spoke. 

“This?” she had a feeling she knew what he meant, but it doesn’t mean that the whole situation was kind of freaking her out. 

“A relationship, between you and I.” Biting his lip, he gave her a hopeful look, but there was also worry, which was to be expected. 

With a slight groan of frustration, Katy ran her fingers through her hair as she stood up, pacing around a little with her arms crossed. “I’m mentally slapping myself for saying this, but if a relationship like this does anything to your career and your reputation, I don’t want a relationship.” She stopped pacing sighing a little as she looked at him, her arms still crossed. “I care about what happens to you Tom, and an age gap this big is bound to have some backlash! I don’t want that for you. I’d rather die lonely.” 

He was honestly kind of proud of her. He knew she had feelings, so for her to put them aside and focus on him was a big step. Something most adults have a hard time doing. With a soft sigh escaping his lips, he stood and walked over to her, gently grabbing hold of her arms with a soft smile on his face. “Darling, people will always talk about the age gap, regardless of how fast or slow the relationship goes. Regardless of how public or private we are. As long as we both want the same thing, and feel the same way, I won’t let it destroy me like you think it will. I can promise you that.” 

Though she blushed at his words, she still was uncertain about the whole situation. Gently pulling away she walked back towards the bed, her back facing him. “But, even then, why me?” She now turned, sadness glossing over her eyes as she looked at him, “Why me, Tom? I’m not the woman you know from that world. I’m not the woman that you’ve… grown to feelings for.” 

“I beg to differ, Katy,” he chuckled a little, walking a little closer to her. “You seem to be very similar to Iro. Like caring about others more than you care about yourself. Am I wrong?” 

She glanced up, shaking her head no a little. 

“No matter how different or similar you are to Iro, you’re still you’re own person. That sense of mystery is exciting! And if you’ll let me, I’d like to see if this would work out between us.” 

“Are you… thinking long term? Because I’m not someone who just dates to date. If I date someone, it’s because I see a partner in them. In the long run.” Katy's face had turned a bright red and she found it hard to meet his eyes.

With his confirmation, they talked just a little longer and arranged to have lunch tomorrow before Katy left. Once he was gone, she collapsed on the bed and found it hard to let sleep take her over. She didn’t want this to be a dream. 

When Katy woke up, she was barely focused on anything happening around her. She was stuck in the clouds thinking about her little  _ ‘date’ _ with Tom later. When it came time to the photo op, she waited towards the back of the line so she could just walk to the back with Tom. Yes, the wait was longer than the day before, three hours and fourteen minutes longer to be exact, but it was worth it. When she walked up, Tom gave her a warm smile, just like he would with any other fan. Although the look in his eyes is what was different. 

Once the photo op was done, they were escorted to his break room where he had a small table set up with a tablecloth and a flower in the center. She found it adorable that they weren’t just going to have pizza or something simple. Instead, it was a cute little lunch with pasta and soup. During the lunch, they talked a little more about how the relationship was going to work, ultimately deciding they wanted have titles, but go at Katy’s pace, which she was grateful for. 

After the date was over, they said their goodbyes and Katy headed back to school for the semester. Over the next month, the two talked constantly, a couple rumors spread across the internet that Tom was with someone, but no confirmations. There were quite a few people who knew about the relationship, but all were close to either party. All of the Avengers actors, including Holland and Cumberbatch, both of their families, and a few of Katy’s close friends. 

When Valentine’s Day rolled around, there was no word from Tom, other than their usual conversation. Unbeknownst to her, he had planned to come that weekend and spoil her. Thanks to her mom, he was able to plan everything around her classes. 

“ _ Katy-Bug! Did you get your cupcakes? They should be there by now.”  _

“I did!” Katy chirped, walking up the stairs of her dorm from picking up said cupcakes. “Thank you, by the way! They look delicious.” 

“ _ Aw you’re welcome honey, I'm glad you like them.”  _

“I’m sorry to change the subject momma, but have you heard from Tom today? I haven’t heard from him.” 

Almost like he was listening, there was a knock on the door. Katy was a bit confused, mainly because she wasn’t expecting visitors. After saying bye to her mom, she set the cupcakes and opened the door to reveal Tom standing with his hair fixed, a casual suit on, and roses in his hands. 

"What the hell are you doing here!” Katy yelled, but she couldn’t help the smile that crept on her face just before tossing herself into his arms, causing the man to chuckle. 

The man happily hugged her back, gently kissing the top of her head and breathing in her scent. “Hello, darling. I’m sorry I’m late, but I’m here to take you out for Valentines. Is that okay?” When he pulled away, he felt a small pain in his arm; she had hit him. “Ow! What was that for?” he chuckled a little, watching as she crossed her arms and gave him a half hearted glare. 

“You weren’t answering for hours! Mr. Romantic, I was getting worried.” He gave her a smile, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “What was that for?” A blush heated up her cheeks, still trying to look intimidating. 

“You’re adorable when you try to look mad when you aren’t actually upset!” he laughed a little and the woman finally stopped the facade, the smile returning to her face. “Why don’t you take these -” he handed her the flowers before continuing, “- and get dressed. Nothing too fancy unless you want to. Church attire would be fine.” 

“Thank you for these, Tom. they’re beautiful.” She gladly took the flowers, giving them a whiff while he kept talking. “Alright. What will you do in the meantime? I don’t want you to be bored,” she tilted her head a little, maybe picking up a little too much from the trenchcoated angel. 

With a soft grin on his face, he pointed to his left, towards the study room doors. “Your friends are watching, so I probably should go say hello.” He seemed a bit embarrassed when he spoke, almost like he was a little nervous to go talk to them. 

“Take your time, we have a little while,” Katy nodded, and the two parted. 

After about an hour, Katy walked out wearing black heels, a light-blue floral dress with off the shoulder straps and a sweetheart neckline, her hair with loose curls, a full face of makeup that went with the dress perfectly, her purse with the essentials, and her favorite black fur coat in hand. 

With the sound of her heels clicking on the floor, Tom shot up from the couch, smiling a bit when he saw her walk in the room. “Wow,” he chuckled, adjusting his glasses. “You look lovely.” 

Katy blushed, pulling a strand of hair out of her face. “Thank you, Tom. Sorry to keep you waiting,”

“Oh, darling, it was worth the wait,” he offered his arm, which she gladly took, then led her outside to start the evening of activities. 

The night consisted of a movie, dinner, and star gazing at the town’s observatory. Afterward, they went back to Katy’s dorm so she could pick up some sleep clothes and go stay with Tom at the hotel, assuming he would be leaving in the morning. 

When they both fell asleep, they went Othos, as usual. 

Early in the morning, probably around three, Tom woke up in a cold sweat, frantically looking around the room. “Katy!” he called, adjusting so he could shake her. She was cold and clammy, a pained look on her face but she didn’t wake up. “Dammit, Katy! Wake up! Please!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the pretty crappy chapter everyone. I like romance, but I honestly suck at writing it XD see you for chapter 15! What happened to Katy??  
> ~ K-The-Queen


	18. Prison of the Mind

“Tony! Focus on the task at hand, will you?” Steve groaned in frustration. The team was currently fighting off a large group of HYDRA agents, and weren’t exactly winning.

“I am! I’ve just got my hands full over here!”

Steve was currently the only one inside the building, Natasha made her way there as the two men bickered. The fighting was silenced by someone busting through the roof, Steve blocking debris from hitting him with his shield. When he peeked over, Iro was standing to her feet, hands in fists as she glared down the HYDRA agents in front of her. Her long white hair flowed behind her, making the god seem angelic.

“Y’all get out of here, Steve.” She looked over her shoulder to give him a grin, her eyes a bright red, “I’ve got this.”

“Be careful, okay?” Iro nodded, turning her focus back to the agents and charging them while the Avengers made their escape.

While Iro was fighting one of the agents, another came up behind her, slamming a gun to her neck. All she felt was a twinge of pain and all she saw was an agent and then it was dark, her consciousness succumbing to the strike.

When she woke up, her back was hurting and she realized she must’ve been slumping in the chair too long. Groaning, she opened her eyes to see that her feet were shackled. Eyes wide, she quickly sat straight up and looked around the room. The room was empty aside from Iro herself. The room was wet and cold, and the pipe dripping in the back of the room was irritating to listen to. An iron door rested far away from her, almost teasing the fact that she couldn’t get out.

She rolled her eyes at the flimsy chains and slowly began to break them. Except, they didn’t break. Iro applied more and more pressure on the metal but it didn’t come close to bending, much less breaking. Panic slowly began to grow in her chest.  _ Where am I? What are these chains made of? _

“Well good morning, goddess,” a deep voice spoke through an intercom she couldn’t see. “I’ll be in shortly to make your acquaintance.”

The woman glanced around to find the source, but the sound was coming from everywhere. Thumps of footsteps sounded and she redirected her attention to the man walking through the heavy metal door, closing it behind him as he let a smirk spread across his lips. He was tall and very broad-shouldered with spiky blond hair. The look in his eyes threw her off. It was like how they said the eye was a window to the soul. What she saw inside those black eyes was something disturbing she couldn’t name, but it was deranged; demented.

“My name is Jason, I work for HYDRA. Will you be so kind as to tell us where the Avengers’ base is?” he spoke in a mock friendly tone that made Iro’s skin crawl.

The attack in the building must’ve been staged, she realized. They were after anyone they could get their hands on who could give them information. Then again… Any of the team would die before they gave out information to HYDRA and HYDRA knew it. So they weren’t after the team, they were after her alone and they would only get her on the chance she showed up, as Iro didn’t always appear for attacks.

“I’ll be telling you nothing. Understand?” Iro snarled, her teeth seeming to sharpen a bit as she spoke, her eyes red once again.

“I had hoped you’d say that.” Walking a little closer, he stood in front of a table she hadn’t noticed before. Tools lying in a row, he ran a finger down each tool as he decided which one he wanted to use first. “I heard you can heal your wounds. Am I correct?”

A shudder of fear slithered down her spine. “Why would I answer that question?”

He hummed, smirking at her over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the tools. “If you aren’t going to tell me, I might as well test it out.” Picking up something that looked like a nutcracker with blades, he walked over to her, Iro squirming as he grabbed her hand. Without pausing he cut off her pinky finger. The woman screamed, the note echoing in the room. “Heal it, goddess,” he hissed.

“That’ll take a moment!” she yelled, eyes widening a bit as she realized she had just confirmed the question. She gulped, watching as pure excitement formed in his crazed eyes.

_ Fuck. _

“Oh yes! This will be fun indeed!” he laughed, cracking his knuckles one by one. The sound made her cringe and look away. Then the maniac began clipping off more of her digits, Iro screaming with each one, tears forming in her eyes. Jason stood up and walked away, leaving Iro in pain and tears, her breathing harsh. “I’ll be back shortly. Be sure to have those healed by the time I get back,  _ little goddess _ .”

From the time Iro had told Steve and the others to leave, to what had just happened, was almost twelve hours. It’d been half a day since they’d seen hide or hair of the woman. But it wasn’t that unusual. She’d often show up, take control of the situation, and pop off to who knew where. Iro’s absence caused Loki to grow worried, the god hurrying to the Avengers’ compound to ask where she was. It wasn’t without an incident.

“Jesus Christ!” Steve gasped, placing a hand on his chest as Loki appeared in the living room of the compound, without his usual flair for dramatics. “Loki! What the hell? Just because you’re Katy’s boyfriend doesn’t mean that you can just pop in here whenever you feel like it!”

“Quiet!” he barked as he paced the room. Steve furrowed his eyebrows, confused to see him so worried. “Where is Iro? She said she was coming to assist you last I saw her.”

Natasha and Clint were walking into the room as Loki was finishing his question. “You said you haven’t seen her?” Natasha was also worried. That would mean that Katy has been MIA for twelve hours at this point, and they didn’t know about it. “Loki we haven’t seen her since yesterday. She just showed up and told us to leave.”

“She said that she would handle it,” Steve chimed in as Clint nodded. “We’ll help you find her,” he stood, walking towards the meeting room and gesturing for the others to follow him. “Friday, please tell all the Avengers to come to the meeting room.”

While they were all talking, Tom forced himself awake, the man in a cold sweat, frantically looking around the room. She was still next to him. “Katy!” he called, adjusting so he could shake her. She was cold and clammy, a pained look on her face but she didn’t wake up. “Dammit, Katy! Wake up! Please!” He was panicking as he shook her. What was he supposed to do? How was he going to find her? He couldn’t wake her up, so his only option was to go back and find her before something bad happened. “Please, hang in there,  _ min skjebne _ ,” he whispered, touching his forehead with his before laying back next to her and trying to fall back asleep.

In a place unknown to her, Katy was shaking in her chair. Jason had come back once or twice before, and he was back once more.

“So little goddess -” Jason hummed as he walked back into the room, Iro lifting her head to look at him, “- the higher-ups want me to find out your limit, along with the other information we need.” He went over to the table, picking up a syringe with a silver liquid in it. “This is so exciting! Don’t you think?” the blond chuckled, gripping her arm tightly before injecting the mercury into her veins.

The liquid metal worked quickly as it coursed throughout her body. Suddenly she went numb, her vision was blurry, and she found it difficult to breathe. Using her powers, she worked to get it out of her system as quickly as she could. When her vision was clear, she gasped shaking her head a little in a silent plea as Jason picked up a machete, giving a good swing toward her leg. Another blood curdling scream escaped Iro’s lips as her limb fell to the ground, Jason laughing in delight at her pain. Dropping her head, her breath continued to hitch in her throat, the woman clenching her fists as tears fell down her face.

Sobs were desperately held back so she didn’t give the man the satisfaction, but several escaped her lips. “Nine hundred… ninety-three,” she mumbled under her breath. As the next limb came off, she screamed again, tossing her head back as the sounds left her throat. Dropping her head, she squeezed her eyes shut and gripped onto the chair’s armrests with all her might. “Nine hundred… eighty-six.”

“You gonna talk yet, goddess?” Jason asked, grabbing her hair and lifting her head up. Even with tears in her eyes, she seemed determined not to talk. “Fine! While you heal, I’m gonna go do some more research on you, see what else you can do.”

He strolled out of the room without a care in the world. What did it matter to him if she didn’t talk? Torture was his pleasure. If in the end she died then oh well. If she never talked then more fun for him. At the very least the woman could be used as a bargaining chip against the Avengers. Or perhaps they would find what made her tick, and they could harness that power. Either way, he had a job to do, and he’d do it with a smile on his face.

Back in the compound, Loki was chewing on his nails and tapping his foot on the ground as the Avengers spoke of a plan. He was getting impatient and even more worried than he was before. The more the group talked about possibilities, the more worried he got.

“We should work on hacking the cameras. Maybe could see what direction they left in.”

“We should also go back to that base. They more than likely still have some people there working to clear it out. There’s a chance they haven’t tried to burn everything.”

With a groan of frustration, Loki slammed his hands on the table, pushing his chair back and standing. “Enough! It’s not like Iro to be missing! We need to find her as soon as possible, dammit!” At that point, it was more Tom than Loki talking at the moment, but Loki obviously agreed.

“Calm down, Loki. These things take time,” Natasha spoke in a calm tone, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Time isn’t on her side, spider.” He was quiet, hoping they wouldn’t hear his voice breaking from his emotions, but they all did. Their hearts went out to the trickster and they all felt some amount of pity for the man.

The next time Jason strolled in, Iro barely even heard the door open. Slowly lifting her head, she found it difficult to hold her head up and watch her torturer as he walked closer, picking up the machete again. “I learned you have wings, Iro. I bet we could fetch a good price for them.” Jason chuckled, cracking his knuckles again before swinging hard and chopping her right leg off again.

Iro screamed once more, breathing heavily to try and hold back her emotions. “Fine! Fine! I’ll talk!” her head was facing towards her lap, the man mumbling a ‘finally’ when she agreed to talk. Lifting her head, her eyes were piercing as she stared him down. “It was Sebastian. Sebastian started the black plague.” She sent him a shit-eating grin, if a little pained.

The grin on Jason’s face quickly faded and he growled, chopping off her left leg and she screamed yet again, coughing ‘nine hundred seventy-nine’ after she calmed herself. “I was going to let you off easy -” he unchained her arms before picking her up and tossing her onto a table stomach down, a knife in hand, “- but thanks to you, I get to have some more fun!’’

“No! Stop!” Iro fought the man as he tried to cut off her clothing, but she groaned in pain as he slammed her head against the table. As the metal connected with her skull in an excruciating way, vision blurred and mind short-circuited. Next thing she realized there was a strap around her waist and a strap around her neck, keeping her head down. More screams left her as he cut off her arms, “N-nine hundred… seventy-two. Nine hundred sixty-five!”

“I can’t wait to see those wings of yours,” he hummed, running the blade down her back. Shoving the knife into her skin, she let out another tortured scream, counting down another seven with each slice he would cut into her back. It felt like he was filleting her. Before long, she was passed out, the woman not even making another sound as he continued to cut out her wings. When he was finished, he tossed her cold, pale, limbless, blood-covered body into one of the cells. It was obvious at this point that he wasn’t going to get information out of her, so he might as well let her rot for a little while.

_ “Katy, honey? Time to wake up!” her mom called in a cheery tone, gently shaking her daughter awake. _

_ Groaning, like usual, Katy turned in her bed, pulling the covers over her face. “I don’t want to be awake right now. The covers have accepted me as their own. If I were to leave now, I’d be betraying their trust.” _

_ “I know, I know. But I made breakfast and we have plans for today, remember? We’re going to the Supernatural convention today!” With that reminder, Katy quickly rolled her tired, stiff body out of bed and worked on getting dressed and packing last minute things. She’d been dying to meet the cast for ages now! It was finally time for them to leave and she couldn’t wait, even if she was exhausted. _

_ Tossing her bags over her shoulders, she did a last-minute mental check of everything before turning her lights off and rushing down the large home’s staircase. Once she had everything in the car, she hurried around to the back porch to give her cats some love before she and her mom left for their adventure. The ride was too slow, in her opinion. Katy bounced in her seat and bounced her leg impatiently, receiving an amused glance from her mother. _

Steve slammed a finger on the table in front of them. “Here! That’s where they took her.” He quickly pointed to a position on the map. As soon as Loki heard those words, he jumped from his seat, as did the others, and rushed toward the Avengers’ plane.

While the group left for their rescue mission, Jason decided to drag Iro out from her cell again since she had stopped the bleeding, but limbs weren’t back yet. So he cut her back again to see if maybe her wings had grown back. Much to his surprise, she didn’t move or scream at all during the process. Once he was finished, he threw her back in the cage. She obviously wasn’t going to be able to do anything anytime soon. And they weren’t any fun if they didn’t respond.

It took hours for the plane to finally reach their destination. Once it did, it was all Loki could do to wait for it to land before getting off. Natasha, Clint, Steve, Tony, Thor, and Parker all storming the base. Loki, Thor, Tony, and Parker took up the first group, with the others in the second group, all searching for the goddess.

Steve, Clint, and Natasha hit resistance almost immediately, fighting their way through to what they assumed was something like the control room. If the wires, monitors, and large buttons were anything to go by. Loki and the others didn’t run into as many people down the hall they’d chosen to follow. Checking each room as they went, they didn’t find any signs of her. It was like HYDRA was taunting them. Could she be in here? Or here? Or maybe she’s over there. You’ll never know if you don’t check.

“Mr. Stark? This metal door is locked,” Peter spoke up, pulling on the rusted door. There was a tiny window at the top, but no one could see through it.

Tony gestured for Peter to step back, using his lasers to melt the lock and push the metal door. It creaked as it opened. Peter was the first through the door, his eyes widening at all the blood. As soon as Tony saw the scene, he covered Peter’s eyes and turned him away so he was facing the hallway. “Don’t look!” The boy shuddered and nodded.

When Loki walked in, his heart sank and his skin grew cold at the sight of all the blood and limbs. Slowly walking through the room, he was careful not to step on or touch anything. Spotting a bright color towards the back of the room drew his attention. Swallowing the sense of horror in the back of his throat, he slowly made his way around the back. “Odin's beard,” he whispered, covering his mouth and holding his breath to keep from puking. Iro’s once beautiful wings lay soaked in blood, he assumed hers, on the ground next to the table.

Seeing the wings made it click that all the blood and limbs in the room all belonged to her. It made him sick to his stomach to think of the pain she must have gone through. The god’s skin grew colder and blue, the marking of a frost giant making themselves known on his skin, his eyes turning a pale red as well. “We need to find her. If she’s still alive.” And with that comment, he pushed past Thor and Tony who stood staring at the gore in front of them, the two men found it hard to believe that it all belonged to Iro.

“Loki! I found her.” Loki’s pace quickened as he heard Steve’s voice over the intercom. “I sent her location to you, the cell isn’t too far away from where you are now.”

“Thank you,” Loki responded before the team ran toward the location. As they got there, the broad Jason stood at the cell, having just unlocked the door to do another round of torturing on her. He turned to look at the group, fumbling to grab his gun. Before he could react much more than that, Loki had him pinned to the wall opposite of the cell, leaving cracks in the wall. “Are you the mortal responsible for torturing Iro?” he growled, snarling his teeth at the man under his grasp.

Jason couldn’t breathe much, but with what air he had, he laughed. “I am. I… enjoyed every second of it,” he gave Loki a smirk, zero fear as he looked down at him.

Loki’s anger grew as he tightened his grip around the man’s neck, fully planning on snapping him like a twig. Before Jason’s neck broke, a vision of Iro getting choked crossed his eyes, the god quickly dropping his victim and taking a step back, eyes wide as he watched the man cough up some blood.

“Loki,” Tony spoke in a soft tone, which made Loki internally panic some. Slowly turning, he looked in the cell to see Tony kneeling next to a nude girl. Judging by his tone, she must not have been breathing. This time, both Loki and Tom’s heart sank. It wasn’t Iro they were looking at, but Katy. “ _ Min skjebne _ ,” he whispered, rushing to her side as Tony moved away. When he reached her, he knelt beside her and disconnected his cape from his suit, draping it over her.

“My love, wake up, please,” he called, gently shaking her. All her limbs were back, but she was still covered in her own blood. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his emotions, his skin turned back to its regular paleness and his eyes reverted to green. He was silent for a moment before he gently pulled her to his lap and placed his forehead against hers. “Please, let me in?” whispered brokenly, eyes closed as he focused on trying to look into her head.

_ When Loki entered her mind, he was in the same hotel that Tom had met Katy in. Although this wasn’t the same convention. As he walked around, he changed his appearance to Tom. normally, that would draw a lot of attention, but everyone was strangely focused on whatever they were currently doing. Walking towards the back where the photo ops take place, he immediately spotted a sobbing Katy walking out of the room with her mom. _

_ “Katy!” he called, assuming she wouldn’t answer to Iro in this state. The girl calmed her emotions and looked around for whoever had called her. “Katy, I’m here,” he called once more, the girl turning her head to look at him, eyes wide as she saw Tom standing in the middle of the aisle, attention on her. She seemed a few years younger than when he had met her, so he assumed she was reliving a memory. _

_ “Oh my god! You’re Tom Hiddleston!” she exclaimed, rushing over to him with her phone in hand. “Would you mind if I got a picture with you?” she questioned, nothing but excitement in her eyes. _

_ A little taken aback by the question, he scratched his head a little, “Uh, yeah sure.” Giving her a smile, he took her phone and got closer to her, taking the picture. As he handed it back, their hands just barely touched and the girl shouted in pain, dropping the phone and rubbing the spot on her arm that felt the pain, looking from Tom to the phone a couple of times before her eyes changed to hold sadness instead of excitement. _

_ Katy turned to look back at her mom who glitched ever so slightly. Sighing, she turned her attention back to Tom. “Loki, what’s happening?” The pain knocked her from the daydream, bringing her attention back to what was currently happening. _

_ “You knew?” he questioned, changing his appearance back to Loki. “What all do you remember?” _

_ “Leaving to help the Avengers with that HYDRA base. Why? What’s going on? Why am I in twenty-sixteen?” she asked, walking towards the hotel lobby as the two spoke. Everything around them frozen in place. _

_ “You mean you don’t remember anything after that?” Loki picked up his pace, keeping next to her as the two walked. She only responded with a head shake, looking at him like he was a little crazy. He sighed, trying to think of the best way he could tell her. “They took you… HYDRA. You were tortured. I think that your subconscious knocked you out and brought you to your subconscious to try and keep you from experiencing any further pain.” _

_ Stopping in her tracks, she turned to look at him, letting the words run over her. The more he spoke, the more she remembered, but most of it was still a blur. “If that’s the case, you need to get me out.” _

_ “How would I do that?” _

_ “Well, when you touched me earlier, I felt pain and the environment glitched. Kind of like the Matrix, but I’ve never actually seen it but whatever. Judging by that, I would assume that I have to feel all the pain that my torturer put me through. But all at once.” _

_ “What?” Loki exclaimed, taking a step back. “Katy, I saw everything he had done to you. I refuse to make you feel it all over again!” _

_ Giving him a soft smile, she got down on her knees and held her arms to the side, “You could never hurt me. I promise.” _

_ “No...” It was more Tom than Loki speaking at this, letting his emotions flow from his eyes as he shook his head. “I can’t. Katy - it could kill you!” _

_ “You need to. Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll wake up from this memory.” She held her hands out, offering them to him. “We don’t have the luxury of finding another way, min skjebne.” _

_ He hesitated, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking back to her. “I’m so sorry, my dear. From the bottom of my heart.” She only nodded, not needing to hear the words to know that he felt that way. Loki also let himself drop to his knees, pulling her into a hug and squeezing her close to him, refusing to let go and trying to tune out her screams, but he couldn’t. He squeezed her a little tighter, praying that the pain she was feeling would stop. _

“Loki! You’re hurting her!” Tony called, pulling him away from Katy but Loki still had her gently in his arms. “What the hell? She’s awake!”

When Loki opened his eyes, he looked up to Tony, about to scold him. But his comment made Loki turn his attention back down to Katy. Indeed, she was barely awake, but she was looking right up to Loki with the smallest grin on her face. Katy whispered a greeting to him, but it didn’t completely register. As tears fell from his face to hers, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead before standing, cradling her in his arms. “Thank god you’re okay, you had us worried.”

She hummed a little, eyes still locked on him. Her vision was blurry, but she could still tell that it was Tom that was talking to her at the moment, based on his blue eyes. The past day’s events finally registered in her as she felt a cold breeze coming from under her. “Tom?” she called, making the man look down to her for a moment, giving her a small grin.

“Yes, darling?”

Her breathing became shallow and she tightened her grip on his clothing, burying her face in his shoulder as she let out sobs. He had seen her in a way that she wasn’t comfortable letting anyone see her in, let alone Tom. he gently tightened his grip, trying to comfort her as they made their way outside and onto the plane. They’d long since dispatched of the HYDRA agents. She was fast asleep before long, exhausted from the day’s events.

After a couple of days in a hospital bed, she woke up again, looking back to normal and feeling much better than she had when they found her. “Good morning, Iro,” Loki whispered, giving her a smile and pulling some hair out of her face as he sat by her feet. “Feeling better, I hope?”

A blush crept to her face and she gave him a nod, looking out the window. “I am, thank you.” Before he could say much else, she stood from her bed and snapped her fingers, her outfit back to her usual military uniform.

He stood up in alarm. “Where are you going?”

“I have work that needs to get done, along with a man to kill.”

“Iro, wait,” he called, gently taking her hand. His touch made her jump and recoil, eyes wide as she kept her hand close and herself toward the door, her body shaking a little. The look on her face made his heart ache. She couldn’t handle being touched, which wasn’t surprising, but it didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. He was supposed to be a source of safety, not the opposite.

“I’m sorry, Loki. I just need to go clear my head.” She rushed out of the room, walking toward the entrance. “It’s time to wake up!” she called to the man.

He instantly perked up, running out of the room to see her hair flowing as she walked out. Once she was out of sight, Tom forced himself awake, his eyes opening in time to hear the bathroom door lock.

Relief flooded him knowing that she was okay. He got up, he threw on a t-shirt and rushed over to the door, gently knocking. “Katy! Honey?” If she had that kind of reaction to Loki in Othos, she would more than likely have a similar reaction to him in the real world. “My love, will you open the door please?”

“You weren’t supposed to see me like that, Tom! At least not yet,” she mumbled the ending, but he could hear the words clearly.

When he found her, it wasn’t her appearance that he was focused on. Yes, he had noticed the slashes and blood, but he didn’t care. “Please, just open the door so we can talk about it.” She didn’t respond and was quiet for a couple minutes, Tom patiently waiting for her to open the door.

When it opened, she could barely look him in the eye and had her arms crossed, feeling the need to cover herself despite being fully clothed. Tom gave her a kind smile, going to cup her face but he hesitated. She stiffened and didn’t move, so he moved slower, gently cupping her face and stroking her cheek. She calmed down a little, her body relaxing with the touch of his warm hand. That was familiar. It was good.

“I know this is hard for you, but I want you to know that I’ll go at your pace.” She nodded, waiting for him to say more. “When I found you, Katy, I wasn’t nearly as focused on your appearance as your overall well being. I was just worried if you were alive or not. If it makes you feel any better, I covered you up with my cape before I did anything else.”

“You did?” Katy asked and he nodded, eyes locked on hers. There was another moment of silence before she started to cry, burying her face in his chest as she locked her arms around his waist, Tom doing the same and gently kissing the top of her head. “Thank you, Tom. I don’t think I would have woken up if you didn’t come find me.”

The thought terrified him to his core. And there he vowed that it’d never happen. HYDRA getting their hands on her wasn’t supposed to happen either, but they weren’t expecting them to kidnap her. And he’d be damned if he was ever going to let it happen again. “I found you once, my dear,” he whispered. “If I need, I could find you again. I’m always here when you need me, my love. No matter where I am in the world, you can always call me.” She nodded, keeping her face in chest as she continued to sob.

Time ticked by and he gently pulled away, wiping away her tears and giving her a smile. “How about we go get something to eat. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving, actually.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was also a crappy chapter, I apologize. I’m just not in the zone I normally am, I guess. *awkward laugh*  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> Psh. I’d say you were almost on point this chapter. I didn’t have to be here to help write it, just beta the thing.  
> ~ Lumos


	19. Queen of Hearts

Iro stood on the mountain top, admiring the new island in the distance. After everything that had happened with Thanos and HYDRA, she finally had the opportunity to ask Chuck for his help in making a new island, the new Asgard. He’d shrugged and agreed, having nothing better to do.

“Iro? Are you coming? We’re going to be late.” Loki had turned back to look at her, already on his way back to the car. “Iro,” he called again, finally getting her attention. 

“Sorry! I got distracted,” she chuckled, tucking a strand of her white hair behind her ear before skipping up to her partner, the two hurrying down to the car to head to the feast Thor had planned to thank Iro for her generosity. Once reaching the docks, the two got on the first boat to Asgard, getting ready for the event during the ride. 

“Brother! Lady Iro! Glad you made it,” Thor greeted the pair with a smile. His clothing was flashier than usual, since this feast also acted as his coronation celebration. “This way, the meal will be served shortly.” He patted Loki’s back as a gesture for them to follow him to the palace’s outdoor dining that was big enough to fit all of the Asgardians. At least, all that survived the attack on the ship. 

Thor sat at the head of the table, Loki next to him and Iro next to Loki, Valkyrie across from Loki, slightly glaring at him for his actions on Sakaar. Once the food had been served, Thor stood, drawing everyone’s attention to him and their conversations to a halt, everyone standing with him. 

“I’d like to make a toast. To Iro, The goddess of Imagination for her bravery against the Mad Titan known as Thanos, and her way with words to provide us a new Asgard,” he gave Iro and Loki a small smile, raising his tankard to the air, everyone doing the same with their own drinkware. “We are forever in your debt, Lady Iro. You will always have a place in Asgard, a seat at my table, and an ally in my people. To the goddess!” With his finishing line, everyone cheered the words, Iro blushing at the attention. 

Throughout the night, the group ate, drank, and enjoyed each other’s company. It had gotten late, and almost everyone had returned home, aside from the ones closest to the king. While Thor and Loki were having a conversation, Iro had left to explore the gardens, the two brothers unaware of her absence for at least thirty minutes. 

“Casual conversation aside, brother. When will you be returning home? Even with your tricks, you are an Asgardian and a prince,” Thor’s voice was a bit stern, the man leaning forward on the table as he awaited an answer from his brother. 

Loki was a bit surprised by the question, given everything he had done in his past, but the fact that Thor had asked shouldn’t have surprised him. The god was quiet, looking down at the liquid in his cup. It was enough of an answer for Thor, the man planting a gentle smile on his face as he sat back in his chair. 

“You weren’t planning on coming back, other than visiting, were you?” 

Loki’s head shot up, looking to his brother for a moment before answering with a head shake. “I may be a prince of Asgard, but this is not my home, not anymore at least.” he glanced over to his side, now noticing Iro wasn’t there. A hint of worry shocked Loki, the man abruptly standing, “Sorry brother, I need to find Iro.” Without waiting for a response, he hurried to find the woman. 

After searching everywhere in the palace, kitchen first, there were no signs of her. While looking in one of the rooms, he had walked past a balcony that overlooked the gardens. Guided by a hunch, he looked over and almost immediately spotted her white hair shining in the moonlight. Hurrying down, he slowed his pace as he got closer to her, observing her actions from afar. 

“Min skjebne,” the woman practically jumped from her skin, turning to face him with a hand on her chest. She was so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed him. “You seem very distracted today. Is something bothering you?” 

Iro hummed, biting her lip and crossing her arms over her chest as he walked up to her. “Yeah…” she hesitated before continuing. “Kate asked me to take over as queen. But…” 

“But what, darling?” He was a little concerned, she normally never acted like this. 

“I want to say yes this time, start things over for me, but I would like a king to rule with me and help me.” She now looked up at him through her lashes, waiting for an answer.

The comment made Loki feel like his heart fell to his stomach. Even if she didn’t want him, he’d support her unconditionally. “Oh, well… who were you thinking to fill that role?” 

The nervousness quickly left her features, the woman giving him a funny look. He was an idiot. “Loki, I want you!” she chuckled, shaking her head a bit. For a god, even he couldn’t get the hint. Maybe she was too subtle? 

He stared at her for a moment, her question finally clicking. Loki pinched the bridge of his nose, put his hand on his hip, and let out a sigh. “Iro, I got a better proposal from a horse,” he commented before digging in his pocket. “Here, let me show you a better one.” He pulled out a small velvet box from his pocket and got down on one knee, opening the box and presenting it to her. “Iro, yes we haven’t been together for long, but there is a reason we keep coming into each other’s lives, and the reason why I call you ‘my destined’. Will you do me the honor of being your husband and king?” 

Iro was stuttering as she gestured between the two, her brain trying to wrap around what exactly just happened. “Uh… Loki, did you just answer my proposal by proposing?” 

“I did.” 

She chuckled, shaking her head a little at the action before holding her hand out to him, “Yes Loki.” 

The god smiled, gently placing the silver ring on her finger. In the center was an Alexandrite stone, swirling with blues, greens, and purples. Small diamonds lining the band. “I would hope so, you did propose to me first,” he chuckled, standing and cupping her face, pulling her into a gentle kiss. As they kissed, Thor, the creepy brother who was watching the interaction, had fireworks set off from the top of the palace. 

The pair jumped at the first bang from the display, watching the colors burst in the air, Loki’s arm around her waist, keeping her close to his side. “Ya know, I’m honestly surprised you didn’t do your signature colors,” Iro teased, gently jabbing him with her elbow.

“Oh, don’t worry my dear. That’s what the wedding ring will look like,” Loki winked before picking her up over his shoulder, the woman squealing as he made his way back to the docks. 

“Loki! Put me down!”

The next morning the two had gone back to work at the military base doing the usual tedious tasks. Around lunchtime, Iro had called Kate into her office so she could inform her of the news. The Winchester was ecstatic by the news and pulling them both into a hug. 

“That’s great! I’ll get to planning the wedding, making your crowns and outfits, and we’ll be set for the ceremony on Saturday!” Kate squealed. 

“Wow!” Iro stepped back raising an eyebrow at Kate’s comment, “Kate, today is Wednesday! That gives you two full days! Is that even enough time?” She sounded a bit worried by the time constraint. Although the question was more directed to herself, the goddess worried about everything she had to get done by then. 

“Oh -” Kate smirked, crossing her arms, “- don’t underestimate us Othesians, Iro. We can get shit done.” She winked, clicking her tongue before heading to work, leaving the two gods a little dumbfounded.

“She’s serious? A wedding and a coronation at the same time, two days from now?” Loki questioned, glancing down at his fiance.

“I guess so,“ she shrugged before her attention was grabbed by her office phone ringing. “Yes, Julie? Okay, send ‘im in.” With the end of the phone conversation, Iro went back to talking to Loki about how it will probably play out, or at least how she’s thinking it’ll play out. 

Before long, there was a knock on the door, that neither party heard. The recruit in question slowly opened the door, clearing his throat to draw the god’s attention. His bronze hair and blue eyes were not a sight to forget, Iro stiffening, eyes wide and her body slightly shaking as she stared at the man. Her shaking so subtle that only someone standing right next to her, Loki in this case, could notice it. 

“I apologize for interrupting -” 

That voice.

“- but may I come in? I came to speak with the Sergeant Major about joining?” The man opened the door a little more, half his body already in the room. 

Iro couldn’t respond, she couldn’t even process her hand letting go of the glass in her hand, which Loki caught before it could hit the ground. “Iro!” he called as he caught the drinkware, shaking his head at the woman who still seemed to be in a trance. “Please come in, I apologize for her actions,” Loki gave the man a smile as he came further into the room, shutting the door behind him. “Iro, snap out of it please,” Loki whispered, gently patting her back to shake her out of whatever trance she was in. 

Loki barely had to touch her to get her to move, the woman striding over to her guest, stopping about a foot in front of him, the man staring at her with slightly wide eyes, worried she was going to do something to him. Iro went to touch his face, hesitating the closer she got. Her fingers just barely touching his face before she gasped and recoiled, holding her hand to her chest as she stared at him. 

The man let down the act, his eyes softening and a small grin appearing on his face. “Hello, Althea,” he responded, waiting for an answer. 

“Althea has been dead for a long time,” Iro blinked a couple times, calming down just a little. "The real question is why aren’t you? I… I saw you… I saw you burn. I saw you melt and scream from the pain! How are you alive?” she exclaimed, tears coming to her eyes the more she thought about the scene. 

“I never died, actually. All I know is that I’ve been looking for you all this time, and finally, thanks to that angry, purple raisin of all people -” he scoffed at the thought, “- I’ve found you. Isn’t that exciting?” he cheered a little, gently grabbing her shoulders as the smile on his face grew. 

Iro gasped again, stepping back, and into Loki on accident, and shook her head. “You’re in. Go start your training,” she moved away from Loki, to open her office door, looking at the floor as she waited for the man to leave. 

“Althea -” 

“Now, Callisto!” she raised her voice, squeezing her eyes shut as she waited for him to leave the room. Once he did, she slammed the door behind him, placing one hand on the door and the other over her face as she began to sob. 

“Iro? What’s the matter?” Loki asked, his tone filled with worry as he walked up to her, gently placing a hand on her back. She was quick to react this time, throwing herself into his chest, the man groaning a little from the surprise weight addition to his chest, but he gladly held her as she sobbed into his clothing. 

“One less… one less person dead because of my mistakes!” she spoke, turning her head so she could breathe, her ear to his chest as she listened to his heartbeat. “One less nightmare to haunt me, a few pounds off my shoulders…” She finally gathered her composure, looking up at his worried eyes with a small smile. Just moments had passed and he could actually see a difference in her eyes. How had he not known this? “I feel like I can breathe easier, Loki.” 

He quickly shifted the look on his face to a more comforting one, giving her forehead a gentle kiss. “I’m glad, my love,” he whispered, laying his head on top of hers as he pulled her closer. 

Later the next day, which happened to be Iro’s day off, the pair consulted with Kate and Sam about wedding plans. Loki left with Sam to get his measurements, while Iro went with Kate. After describing roughly what kind of outfit they wanted, they got their measurements not only for the outfits but also for their custom crowns. It had become a tradition that the current king and queen design the crowns for the ones taking over, no matter the relation. 

After measurements, the four met up and left to the church that Kate was thinking about having the event in. “Isn’t it too small? All of Othos, along with our personal loved ones, have to fit, right?” Iro asked, a bit confused about what Kate had planned. 

“Yes, ma’am! That is how this works, but don’t worry about the size, I have that covered. Do the two of you like the interior, though? That’s the important part. Along with the exterior, of course.” 

Iro hummed, admiring all the colors in the room. Before making her decision, she wanted to hear what Loki had to say. “Loki? Thoughts?” He was quiet for a moment, looking around the room. “I know Christianity isn’t your religion, so we don’t have to have it in a church if you don’t want to.” 

Shaking his head at her concern with religion, he took her hand and led her up to the front, where they would take their vows. Standing at the top, he took both of her hands, like they were rehearsing the day. A blush creeping onto Iro’s face as she followed his lead. With a large smile, he gave her a nod. “Yes, love. I like this place.” 

“But your religion?” 

“That doesn’t matter to me, Iro. You should know that. If I like it, I like it. That’s all there is to it.” 

Breaking the two from their moment, Kate having cleared her throat to get their attention. “So, this is the place?” she asked, holding her hands together in anticipation. The two nodded and she gave a small cheer, heading outside without even bothering to check if the others were following her as she began her little rant about decor. 

“Kate, I don’t mean to stop you, but it’s getting kind of late and I have to work tomorrow.” 

“Oh yes! I’m sorry,” Kate chuckled a little, rubbing the back of her neck. “Don’t worry about anything else, I can handle the rest. I already know who all you’d want to invite,” she gave the two a thumbs up, a large smile still on her face. Iro couldn’t tell if she was just excited to be demoted, or if she was truly this excited for the wedding. 

“And make sure to get plenty of rest tomorrow! You’ll be waking up at seven in the morning to start getting ready. Then you have a busy night Saturday, am I right?” she smirked, giving Loki a wink as she jabbed his side a little, both Iro and Loki blushing at her comment. 

“Kate, honey -” Sam chimed in, gently grabbing his wife and pulling her away from the gods, “- you’re acting more like Dean every day and it’s kinda scary. Come on, we have stuff to do.” 

As the queen was drug off by her husband, Iro cleared her throat a bit, glancing up to Loki. She normally didn’t feel embarrassed like this, but Kate just had to go and comment about the wedding night. “Shall we head home?” Loki hummed a bit, still enjoying the scene of the queen throwing a fit. 

Once they were home, the two got ready for bed and had some tea before heading to bed. Once the lights were off, other than the light on the nightstand, Loki was reading and Iro was already huddled and trying to sleep. 

“Min skjebne?” Iro hummed, not bothering to turn around just yet. “Can I ask you something? About the wedding?” 

Narrowing her eyebrows a bit, she turned over to look at him, “Yeah, go ahead.” 

“Are you… nervous? For that night?” Loki wasn’t worried about it at all, given that he has actually given birth before, but what experience did she have? It was also Tom being worried about how Katy would handle the situation.

Iro blushed, giving the man a small smile as she studied his eyes, “Is this Loki asking Iro, or Tom asking Katy?” she asked quietly, adjusting so she was in a more comfortable sleeping position.

Damn. She figured it out. “A bit of both?” he chuckled a little, his currently blue eyes shining down at her. She only smiled a little and responded with a teasing ‘a little’ before turning back around and ignoring his question as to who was answering. With a defeated sigh, he focused his attention back on his book, reaching to grab her hand, which she gladly offered. 

The next day went smoothly, up until the afternoon anyway. Iro and Loki were supposed to be heading back home to get some rest in preparation for the next day. Iro was currently headed back to her office from checking in on one of the on-going experiments when Callisto spotted the woman and quickly trotted up to talk with her, Iro greeting him with a smile. 

The two kept up the friendly conversation, mainly talking about what had happened over the years. She informed him of her many adventures across the stars and worlds and he, in turn, told her about his own. Although once the two were out of the eyes of others, which happened to be right down from her office, he didn’t hesitate to switch to a more romantic topic. 

“So, I was actually wanting to ask if you’d like to go out with me this weekend? If you aren’t busy, of course,” the man seemed timid as he spoke, barely looking her in the eye.

“Oh, I - I’m sorry Callisto but I’m actually engaged.” She gave a half-hearted smile to the man. Yes, she’d had a thing for him in the past, but that was so long ago that the feelings had morphed into something other than love. 

His eyes darkened a bit at the comment, the look he gave her was almost lustful. “Althea, hun, come on -” he scoffed, walking toward her and making her back up against the wall, placing a hand next to her face, “- do you really think that I care about that?” 

Her eyes widened a bit at his comment and actions. This wasn’t how she remembered him acting. “Beg your pardon?” she questioned, unsure if she had actually heard him correctly. 

“Okay, fine. You can stay with your fiance, I don’t mind being your side-man. Although eventually, I’ll get you to break up with, sound good?” he smirked, pulling some of her hair behind her ear. 

“Enough!” she pushed him away, crossing her arms. “This is not the man I remembered from Greece, Callisto.”

“Oh, come on, Althea -” 

“I told you, she’s dead.”

“Whatever! I’ve come all this way, over all these years, just to have you. Can’t you just do that much?” he went to cup Iro’s face, but his wrist was grabbed before he could reach her, Loki glaring down at him like a demon butler from hell, Callisto looking up to Loki. 

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to my bride?” Loki’s voice was cold enough to make the devil have chills, and his skin now had blue undertones, like it was slowly switching to a shade of blue.

“Hey, you’re not married yet, so I still got a chance here!” Callisto pulled his wrist away, rubbing at the beginnings of frostbite on his wrist. “And what the hell did you just do to me? My arm is freezing!” 

“The lady told you no. If you had any knowledge at all, which I would hope you do, given your age, you would know what that means. I’ll only say this once. Back off.” He stood guard in front of Iro, his stance confident and his posture tall as he looked down at the man in front of him. 

Callisto was quiet, glancing from Loki to Iro before huffing and walking off. “Callisto,” Iro called before he had gotten too far, the woman glaring at him while Loki’s attention was on her. Callisto quickly turned on his heels, hoping she would confess feelings for him and not Loki. “If you don’t know your place, your death will be permanent, and it will not be because of my mistake, but my right choice. Do I make myself clear?” 

His eyes widened a bit at her words before they filled with anger, Callisto finally rushing off to his barracks. 

With a sigh of relief, Iro turned to Loki with a kind, apologetic smile, “I’m sorry about that, Loki.” 

He shook his head, taking her hand and leading her outside so the two could head home, “Don’t be, my dear. I trust you.” The god with trust issues couldn’t have given her a better answer. The large smile on her face causing one to grace him as well. When they got home, Katy actually left the palace to stay there for the night, following the tradition that it’s bad to see one another on the day of the wedding. 

When morning came, Kate woke up the goddess early in the morning, and Sam went to get Loki. The two women had breakfast together and the men did the same, starting the long day off with a nice meal. The wedding was set to start at two, and damn did time fly by quickly. There were royal staff members running around the castle, helping not only Kate, but the women she had picked as bridesmaids, and the bride herself get ready. 

Sam had taken Loki straight to the castle to get himself, the groom, and his groomsmen ready. The task wouldn’t be as hard for him, ya know, with them being guys and all. 

Thanks to the Weasley twins, the small church was currently much bigger on the inside as everyone slowly made their way inside to watch the double ceremony. Like usual, the seating arrangement was with the bridesmaids and groomsmen in the front, family behind them, and friends before the rest. 

Sam led Loki to the podium, groom dressed in a black, fantasy-style outfit. With Thor standing by his brother’s side, Sam left to go to the back to walk Katy town the aisle. When the music started, Loki grew more and more anxious as either bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down the aisle. Most he recognized, but a few people were new. 

Finally, the traditional Here Comes the Bride song began playing, and everyone stood, looking back to the doors as Katy and Sam emerged. Her lace gown complimented her features, and surprisingly her white hair, despite the barely-there color difference. Her hair was tied back in a fancy version of a ponytail with some flowers intertwined throughout the white locks. 

Loki could feel his face heat up, and he couldn’t look away from his bride, nor did he want to. The more he watched and took in the scene around him, the more he couldn’t wait for her to reach him. 

I can’t wait to marry her. His eyes widened a bit, and he shook his head slightly before returning his attention to Katy. Stop that, Tom. That’s creepy, don’t tell her that. The man quickly pulled himself from his thoughts as Katy finally reached him, her beautiful Caribbean eyes brighter than he’s ever seen them. There wasn’t an ounce of any emotion other than pure happiness. The look on her face made Tom all the more excited to see her with the same expression in the real world, if that’s what their future held. 

“Take care of her, okay?” Sam spoke softly, trying to hide the slight worry in his tone. He didn’t exactly have his doubts about the couple, but he did worry, knowing what happened with her past relationships. Loki gave him a nod. Sam then turned back to Katy, giving her a small smile and gently kissing her cheek. “Try not to drive him too crazy,” he whispered, causing the girl to chuckle before he handed her off to Loki, the groom helping her up the steps as Sam went to stand by his wife and the crowd sat back down.

“You look gorgeous, my love.” Loki looked her up and down, a smile on his face as he gently squeezed her hands. Before she could respond, Chuck cleared his throat a little, grabbing the ribbon for the handfasting ceremony. 

“Are you ready?” The two nodded to Chuck who gave a smile and started the ceremony. “Loki and Katy -” 

“Iro,” the woman whispered, giving him a small grin. 

With a small laugh, Chuck nodded, “Loki and Iro, I bid you look into each other’s eyes -” the two did as told, along with holding each other’s hands. “Will you honor and respect one another, and seek to never break that honor?” 

“We will,” they said together.

With their confirmation, Chuck draped the first cord over their hands. “And so the first binding is made. Will you share each other’s pain and seek to ease it?” 

“We will.” 

He draped the second cord across, “And so the binding is made. Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?” 

“We will.” 

He draped the third, “And so the binding is made. Will you share each other’s laughter, and look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?” 

“We will.” 

He draped the fourth, “And so the binding is made.” Chuck tied the cords together, sending them a smile. “Iro and Loki, as your hands are bound together now, so your spirits are joined in a union of love and trust. 

“Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the Earth, should be a firm foundation from which you grow.” Iro and Loki pulled their hands away from the newly formed knot, Chuck handing the item to Thor. “You may now exchange your vows at this time.” 

Both Loki and Iro shared the same vows to each other; traditional Celtic vows. 

“You are the blood of my blood, and the bone of my bone. 

I give you my body, that we two might be one. 

I give you my spirit, ‘til our life shall be done. 

You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. 

You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require and the honeycomb will taste sweeter from my hand. 

I vow to you the first cut of my meat, the first sip of my wine.

From this day it shall be only your name I cry at night, and into your eyes that I smile each morning. 

I shall be a shield for your back as you are for mine, nor shall a grievous word be spoken about us, for our marriage is sacred between us and no stranger shall hear my grievance. 

Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honor you through this life and into the next.” 

Loki and Iro then exchanged their rings and Chuck told them to kiss, which they gladly did. After they were pronounced man and wife and the crowd died down, Chuck stepped off to the side, Kate and Sam taking his place. Kate wore a red, medieval-styled royalty dress, and Sam wore a suit fit for a king, their crowns atop their heads. 

“Iro…” Kate began, giving her dear friend a smile. “If it were not for you, this island, the people, and I would not be here. You’ve been with us from the beginning, and I couldn’t think of a better person, godly or human, to take the throne, nor would I want another. You are my friend, and you are my family. We’ve had our troubles, but we’ve always gotten through them. On this day, my friend, I entrust the kingdom given to me by birthright, to you.” Kate then turned to Loki, also giving him the same smile she gave Iro. 

“Loki. You are the Norse God of Mischief, and your past caused me to worry about Iro’s decision to have you as her King. Throughout this short time, though, you have proven me wrong, which is something even my husband has a hard time doing.” The crowd laughed at her small joke before quieting down for her to continue.

 “You have helped my country, which you had no connection to at the time, and I owe you my life for that selfless act. You have also assisted me in protecting my friend during her recent hardships, which is something that I cannot thank you enough for.” Kate gestured for two large, fancy boxes to be brought over, one could assume they were the crowns. “Please turn to face the crowd and get on your knees.” Iro and Loki did as they were told.

Once they faced away, Kate opened the box holding Iro’s crown and Sam opened Loki’s, the two pulling them out and placing the crowns on their heads. Iro’s was gold with white diamonds around it and an emerald on each major piece of the crown, circling all the way around. Loki’s was a simpler golden crown with diamonds accenting the piece. 

Kate gave a small sigh once the crowns were on their heads, swallowing the lump in the back of her throat. The moment was bittersweet. She was finally stepping down to live a more normal life, which she’s been wanting for years, but she would also miss it, in her own way. She and Sam were ecstatic for their friend who has finally found someone who made her happy! And he’s a god od all things, so there’s a much smaller chance of him dying. For all the shit she’s been through, she deserved the best. 

“Iro, Goddess of Imagination. Loki, God of Mischief. Please rise not only as husband and wife, not only as the godly beings you are, but as the new rulers of this beautiful country of Othos.” The pair rose and so did the crowd’s cheers. 

With a large smile on her face, Iro turned and pulled Loki into a kiss, the woman chuckling a little once they pulled away, “Party time?” 

“Whatever you wish, my queen,” he whispered, taking her arm in his and leading her out to their next destination for the evening. 

Surprisingly, from the time everyone had gotten to the church, to the time Iro and Loki returned to the castle, the staff had already completely moved the Winchesters out and moved in the Laufeyson’s. Once returning to their new home, Katy wasted no time before plopping onto the master bed with a sigh of relief. She enjoyed the wedding day, but it was already past midnight and she was exhausted. 

Loki chuckled a little at her actions, locking the door behind him as he walked in. “My queen,” he hummed, walking over to the bed. There was only a grunt out of the woman. “Iro, it’s not time to sleep yet,” he chuckled, crawling onto the bed next to her before moving to hover above her, gently moving some strands of hair out of her face, the gesture finally making her open her eyes. 

“Why is that?” she replied, a small smirk on her lips as she looked up at her new husband. 

“Because…” he purred into her ear, moving to kiss her neck before he continued, his hand making its way down her body to pull up her skirt. “I haven’t made you mine yet, darling,” he growled, his voice vibrating off of Iro’s throat, causing her to bite her lip in anticipation. 

Iro tangled her fingers in Loki’s hair, giving it little tug which caused him to gently bite down on her collarbone. “Didn’t you do that by marrying me?” she asked, faux innocence in her voice. 

The man scoffed, lifting his head up to look her in the eye. “I meant in the bedroom, min skjebne.” There was lust in both of their eyes, both anxious for what was to come next. 

“If that’s the case -” Iro gently pushed Loki off her and onto his back, switching their positions and resting her forehead on his, “- I need you to wake Tom up, not just keep him dormant.” She closed her eyes as she whispered to him. 

Loki’s eyes widened a bit, turning to the color blue of Tom’s eyes for just a moment before they turned back to green, the man closed his eyes as a smile appeared on his face, “He’s gone, love.” 

With the confirmation, Iro gave him a kiss before pulling away and straddling his lap, moving Loki’s hands to the buttons on her dress. “Well take me, my king”

The next morning, Iro awoke to the sunlight shining in her eyes. With a groan, she turned over to be greeted by a dress in place of her husband. It wasn’t surprising that he would lay one out for her. Sighing, she reached over to the nightstand and pressed the button on the little intercom built into, requesting a maidservant to come help her get ready for the day. 

After getting ready she left to go down to the military base, finding her husband in the foyer talking contractors and decorators about some plans he hand. “Loki? You weren’t going to talk to me about any of these ideas you’re spewing?” Iro chuckled a little, hurrying down the stairs and over to Loki who greeted her with a smile. 

“Good morning, my queen,” he pulled her close to her, gently kissing her head as his arm was wrapped around her waist. “There were a couple of things that needed repairs done, but I was going to offer some suggestions about some decor ideas I had.”

Iro narrowed her eyes, not completely believing him with the last claim. “I like these plans. They fit us,” Loki nodding, agreeing with her choice. “I’m sorry, love but I gotta go. Paperwork time at the base.” She kissed his cheek before the two exchanged farewells and she left with a couple guards. 

Once there, everyone she passed greeted her like an old friend, saying how much they missed her. First on her agenda was to get Hestia moved off of the base and over to the castle, which she instructed a couple of the military men to do for her. After that, she went to talk to Kyoya and say her goodbyes. Lastly, she headed to her old office, which was about to become Kates, catching the attention of Callisto when she passed him. 

“Althea! Hey!” he called, a large smile on his face at the sight of the woman. Rushing over to her, he was stopped by the two guards blocking him. “What’s the deal man?” 

“Few people get close to the queen without her confirmation, you are not one of them.” 

“Queen? Althea tell them I’m a friend!” He begged. 

“Are you?” she snapped, crossing her arms as she turned to look at the man. “Last I remember, Callisto, you tried to jump me and make me jump on my husband. Why would I consider you a friend anymore?” 

“I just want to talk, Alth -” he stopped, remembering she got upset last time she was called that, “- Iro. Please? It involved an apology.” 

She perked up a bit at his words, hanging on to the last bit of hope that he was the same man she once knew. Finally, she continued walking to the office, gesturing to let him follow her. He gave her a ‘thank you’, but she was quiet until they got to the office. Iro sat in the main chair, while Callisto sat in one of the chairs meant for guests. 

“If you want to talk, you might wanna start,” Iro told him, eyes and attention focused more on the paperwork in front of her. 

“Well, first I’d like to apologize for what happened the other day. I was stuck on how happy I was to see you again, that I couldn’t control myself. I wanted you again, but more than I had before. I mean -” he chuckled a little, “- I was looking for you for thousands of years! Why would you be surprised I had a reaction like that?” 

Iro sighed, turning her attention to him as she glared at him. “You’re not supposed to try and look for someone for thousands of years, Callisto! What if I had been dead? You would have wasted this gift of yours looking for me!” 

“What else was I supposed to do?” he acted submissive, a little taken aback by her words. 

“You’re not supposed to hold onto a person the way you did, but hold onto the memories you had with that person and grow from your experience.” 

“But, you held onto me that way, the way I did, I mean.” 

“No, I held on a different way.” 

“How was it different?” 

She groaned in frustration, slamming her fist on the desk, “I held onto guilt! I felt guilty and dragged down with the guilt that I was the one who caused your execution!” The room was quiet for a moment before she sighed, rubbing her face a little. “What else did you want to talk about?” 

“Well, I was hoping you could tell me about how you’ve changed, and what all you’ve done over the years. I heard from someone else here that you’re considered a god? That’s amazing!” Iro was a bit surprised by the question, but gave him a small smile nonetheless. 

The next hour had passed with her telling him all his stories, good and bad, telling him about her and everything in between. “Wait, you can fly?” He chimed in after doing nothing but mainly listening. “That’s so cool! Do you have wings? What do they look like? Can you show me your wingspan and all that?” 

The smile that was plastered on her face quickly faded, the woman clearing her throat and adjusting in her chair “I don’t actually have them right now.” 

“What do you mean? You can’t just get rid of your wings,” Callisto chuckled a little, leaning back in his chair. Iro was silent, causing him to grow concerned. “Iro? What happened to you?” 

She glanced up, opening her mouth to tell him about the event with Jason last month, but was interrupted by the office door opening. 

“Iro! Are you ready for the ignition ceremony?” Loki smiled at his bride before seeing Callisto in the chair in front of him. Without hesitation, his new weapon appeared in his hand, pointed right at Callisto’s neck. “What is he doing here?” His tone was stern and his eyes were darker as he glared at the man. 

“Hey hey!” Callisto held his hands up in defense, sending a pleading look to Iro. “Iro? A little help please?” 

Rolling her eyes a little, Iro found the situation kind of comical but she wasn’t going to let Loki kill the man, at least not yet. “He’s okay, Loki. He apologized, you can put your weapon away.” 

Loki narrowed his eyes at the Greek man before doing what his bride had asked. “Are you coming? It’s the queen’s job to appoint the new Sergeant Major.” 

“Yeah! Sorry, min skjebne.” Iro stood and took his hand, giving him a smile. “Callisto you might want to get back to work. I’m not your boss anymore, I don’t know how well she’d take to you slacking.” With that, Iro and Loki left to go find Kate. 

“What were you two talking about?” Loki questioned as they walked, glancing down at Iro. She seemed a little shaken. What had happened? 

“Nothing really. He wanted to know what I’ve been up to all these years, and wanted to apologize.” 

“That was it?” 

“That was it.” 

She was lying, at least to an extent. There was something she wasn’t telling him. He didn’t know what it was, but the fact that Callisto was with her made his blood boil.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t even know how well I edited this. Probably poorly.  
> ~ Minecraftian1213
> 
>  
> 
> That’s okay. I wrote it poorly XD sorry it’s a little late guys. I also have pictures for the chapter, so go check them out on tumblr! My account is K-TheQueen-Writings.   
> ~ K-The-Queen


	20. Godly Duties

Standing in the foyer of the castle, Iro stood with her arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed at the request from the child in front of her. “You want to  _ what  _ now?” 

With a groan of frustration, Ciel pinched the bridge of his nose. “I want to build a Funtom factory in this country, if you’ll allow me.” 

As Iro listened to the request, she felt eyes burning into her, the woman glancing over at the red-eyed demon butler of Ciel’s who was currently staring at her very intensely, something about her was disturbing him today. “Wait, have you been here this whole time? Ever since the wedding?” Iro shook her head, drawing her attention back to the person in front of her. 

“Yes, is that a problem? I thought we were welcome here.” 

“Ciel, it’s almost been a month! Why didn’t you come ask me about this sooner?” She was a little worried about the timeline of his universe, but she was pretty sure it was fine.

“We decided to explore your country." 

Before Iro could respond, a man, Ciel’s butler to be exact, appeared behind her, breathing in her scent and running his hands over her torso, mumbling ‘interesting’. Iro shivered before jumping away from him, staring at him with wide eyes and hands on her stomach where he had touched her. “Sebastian! What the hell was that?” she exclaimed, only getting a slightly confused look from Sebastian before he studied her features again from afar. 

“What was that about? Nevermind, apologize!” Ciel barked, hitting Sebastian's leg with his cane, but it wasn’t enough to actually hurt him. 

Looking over to his master then back to Iro, Sebastian bowed, “Sincerest apologies, my lady. I don’t know what came over me.” His voice was monotone, but she could tell he meant the apology. Which was strange considering who he was.

“What was that about?” Iro questioned, repeating Ciel's words.

“You smell different, sweeter even,” he moved his hand over his mouth, humming a bit. “I don’t exactly…" Sebastian went quiet as his thoughts trailed out. Then he quirked an eyebrow at her and shook his head. "Never mind. Ignore my actions, please.” 

Iro narrowed her eyebrows at the demon for a moment before turning back to Ciel. “You know, kid, this isn’t the nineteenth century. If you want to have a factory here, in the modern-day, you have to figure out what things you can make that will actually make you money. Plus, I don’t know how I feel about you leaving your timeline to come here.” 

Ciel scoffed at her concerns, shaking his head, “Your concerns are noted, but I believe we can handle what comes our way. If the factory is a success, I’ll get my staff, and we’ll build a manor here.” 

Iro was quiet for a moment, going over his words. How bad would it actually be if they stayed here? She didn’t know, and that worried her. “Yes to the factory, let me think about letting you move here.” Ciel nodded, seeming to agree to her offer. “You can stay here in the meantime. When you’re ready, my staff will show you to your room.” She gestured to a maidservant standing off to the side.

Ciel grinned a little, holding his hand out to Iro, which she accepted. “There’s one more thing, your majesty. I am not aware of, nor do I possess, the monetary value of this world. I would like to ask for a favor in helping me construct my factory."

Iro chuckled a little, rolling her eyes at the question. She had expected it, naturally. “That's fine. Go to the bank and handle the financials with them.” With their conversation coming to a close, the two said their farewells as Ciel left to start on the factory. 

Once they were out of sight of the queen, Ciel reached up as far as he could, slapping Sebastian on the back of the head. “You idiot! What the hell was that inside? Are you a pervert butler now?” 

Sebastian growled inwardly but he'd grown accustomed to Ciel's mannerisms. “My apologies, my lord. She smelled different and I was trying to figure out why. I do believe I have found the cause.” Sebastian opened the car door, letting Ciel get in before joining him, the car driving off. 

Ciel tapped his finger impatiently “Well? Get on with it, man!” 

The demon smirked. “I believe she’s with child. Her scent from when she first visited her world has changed and now it has suddenly become sweeter and stronger.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just her husband's scent lingering on her?” 

Sebastian nodded before continuing, “Yes, my lord. His scent was on her, but I could barely tell with how overwhelming she smelled.” 

Ciel hummed, resting his chin on his hand as he looked out the window, the shadow of a smile appearing on his face. 

Throughout the day, Iro worked with Loki to get the country’s main religion changed yet again. Back in the day, she didn’t feel ready to take care of so many worshipers on her own, but having Loki around made her more confident in her abilities. With that, and Kate’s pestering, in mind, she called an announcement for all of Othos to hear. She dearly hoped it would go well.

Then the gods made their declaration, informing them that they could follow whichever religion they choose. Not surprisingly, many chose to follow them because they’ve actually  _ seen  _ Loki and Iro and their actions as gods. 

Upon returning home, Iro was met with a messenger. “My queen! I have a letter for you. The person who dropped it off said only you were allowed to read it.” The kind man handed her the letter, it was sealed with a wax seal of the gods, a design she was all too familiar with. 

“Thank you, you can return to your duties,” she waved the man off, walking with Loki to her office. Iro sat down while Loki stood closer to the door, his arms crossed. “Summoned?” Iro mumbled, reading the rest of the letter with a groan of frustration at the end. “I have to go for a while, Loki.” Iro stood, pressing the button on the intercom to request a car and plane be prepared for her. 

“Why aren’t you just flying there?” Loki asked, his tone more harsh than usual. 

His tone took her by surprise, the woman raising an eyebrow at her husband. “Excuse me?”

“Why. Aren’t. You flying? Is it because you’re not able to?” He raised his voice the more he spoke, walking over to her. He could tell by the guilty look on her face that he got it right on the money. A groan of frustration escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair. “Dammit, Iro! Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” 

“I didn’t want to worry you,” her voice was small as she looked away. "It’s been worrying me, I didn’t want you to worry too.” 

“Then why the hell did you tell Callisto!”

She snapped her gaze up to him, giving him a confused look before a fritz of anger shot through her. “Is that what this is about? Loki, I talked to him a month ago!” 

“But you told him! Didn’t you? You told him and not me! Why not?” 

“I didn’t want you to worry!” 

“That’s not a good enough answer, Iro!” Loki shouted, slamming his hand on the desk. 

The room was quiet for a moment, Loki waiting for her answer. Iro looked between his hand and his face, irritation in her eyes. “Loki, I told him because I don’t care what he thinks. I don’t care if he worries about me or if he thinks of me any differently without my wings. But you?  _ My god _ , I care about your opinion a little too much, my love! I didn’t want you to get worried because I can’t tell you it’s okay and that I’ll handle it. I can’t tell you that because I don’t believe it myself.” 

She was calm throughout her whole explanation, eyes locked on his. She knew he was jealous and had trust issues with this kind of thing, so she kept herself calm to try and help him. Iro reached to touch his hand, but he quickly pulled away, rushing out the door. 

“Go see your gods, Iro. I need a minute.” The door slammed shut behind him, causing the goddess to jump at the sound. 

She sighed, rubbing her face as she desperately tried to come up with something to do that would help. After a couple of minutes, she decided that she might as well give him a breather and do as he said; go to Olympus.  _ This’ll be interesting.  _

After a short car ride to the airport and a long flight, she landed in New York the next day. Without wasting time, she and a guard went up the tower, the man even escorting her all the way up the elevator. “I’ll be back, James. Wait here for me.” The man responded with a  _ ‘yes ma’am’ _ . When Iro turned to look out the doors of the godly elevator, she froze, staring out at Olympus. With a deep breath, she clenched her fists and stepped out of the elevator. 

Instantly, her outfit changed to the one she wore on Olympus, the one that had been crafted into a marble statue. The stars on the dress brightened and welcomed her back after her long absence from Olympus. Iro stiffened at the change in outfit, mainly because it wasn’t her that actually changed it like it normally had been. After an exhausting walk up the stairs, she finally made it to the palace doors. As she placed a hand on it, her body grew to match the height of the gods and she stepped in, the loud doors drawing the attention of all the gods on their thrones. 

Athena stared at her, baffled that she actually arrived. The woman barely recognized her. Most of her actual features hadn’t changed, other than her hair and the scar on her face, but the way she carried herself was completely different. “Iro?”

“Hey Athena, long time no see.” Iro gave the woman a small smile but kept her distance from everyone. Before anyone else could say their greetings, Iro interrupted, “Why was I summoned here, Zeus?” Her voice was loud and stern, but not because she was angry, it was what she had to do to get everyone to quiet down. 

The man smiled broadly. “Been a while, Iro. How have you been?” 

“Don’t act all nice with me, Zeus," she snapped. "Lest you forget what happened in the past.” Iro crossed her arms, eyes locked on the god furthest from her. 

Zeus sighed, scratching the back of his neck before standing and walking over to her, bowing his upper body to her. “My deepest apologies for the past, dear Iro. I know it won’t make up for what I did, but hopefully, it’ll allow you some form of peace.” 

Iro stared at him with wide eyes, taking a step back when he bowed. This was  _ definitely  _ not what she expected from the self-centered god who almost ended the world because someone stole from him.  When he stood back up, she rolled her eyes a little at him. “It’s in the past, Zeus. No, I don’t forgive you, nor will I ever, but I appreciate the apology.” The god sighed in relief when Iro spoke. “However, you never answered my question. Why was I summoned here?” 

“Oh!” Zeus smiled, stepping away to present the throne next to Athena, Iro’s old throne. “We want to offer you a seat among us again! To join the twelve once more."

Iro glanced between him and the chair, thinking about the question. Loki’s words ran through her head. “My husband. Can he have a seat as well?” 

Zeus went to say something, but went quiet, glancing at the others. They knew who here husband was, but couldn’t allow him too since he was a Norse god, not Greek. “I’m sorry, Iro, but no. He’s not a Greek god, so I can’t allow him to have a seat with us.”

Iro nodded, having already known the answer when he looked away. Holding her hand out, she gave him a small smile, though she really didn’t want to. “Sorry, Zeus, but I’m not doing it without him.” 

Zeus took her hand, shaking it, but didn’t let go yet, “Are you sure about this? You won’t be a god anymore. Not officially.” 

She chuckled pulling her hand away from him. “If you were really watching me, Zeus, you’d see how much of a god I  _ really _ am. I don’t need you or the twelve to be a god. And I don’t need Olympus, either.”

The room was quiet for a moment, everyone staring at the two gods and the two gods staring at each other. 

“Alright, I understand.” Zeus broke the silence first, giving her a small smile after he spoke. “You’re loyal, Iro. You always have been. I admire that.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Although we’ll send you invitations to events we hold. You’re always welcome on Olympus, I hope you know that.” 

Iro nodded, thanking him for his kindness and saying her goodbyes. With her hand on the door, she hesitated to leave, hesitated to ask for help. They were honestly some of the last people she’d want to ask for help from, but she felt desperate. 

“Zeus.” She called, taking a breath before turning around to be met by the eyes of the gods again. “I was hoping… that someone might be able to help me with something.” He narrowed his eyes a little and gestured for her to continue. 

“A few months ago, I was tortured. The man who tortured me also cut out my wings.” There was a quiet, but audible, gasp from Athena. She could only imagine the pain her friend went through. “Long story short, they still haven’t grown back and… I’m worried that they aren’t coming back at all.” 

Zeus thought about it for a moment. From what he knew about her, her wounds always healed. Aside from that scar, he thought, glancing at the old wound. However, she could only regrow one thing at a time.

“Well, have you thought about the fact that your body might be focused on something else other than your wings?”

Iro gave the man a confused look, “What do you mean? What else could it be focused on healing?” 

“Well, what I’m saying is that it’s not focused on  _ healing _ something, but  _ making  _ something.” 

Iro just groaned in frustration, scratching her head, “Agh, never mind, you’re just confusing me even more.” Before Zeus could say anything else, Iro said a quick goodbye before rushing out to head back home. 

Once she was gone, Zeus just looked at everyone else with a kind of dumbfounded look. “She’s not good at getting hints.” The others only hummed in response, agreeing with the statement. 

Back in Othos, Ciel and Sebastian had just gotten back to the palace to find the rooms they would be staying in, the two running into Loki. 

“Ah! Your majesty,” Ciel called, drawing the attention of the still jealous god, along with a glare from him. “Do you know where your wife is? I’d like to speak to her.” 

“I don’t know. Probably still in the States talking with her old friends. Not like she’s going to update me, though.” He was condescending when he spoke, quickly walking off to who knew where. 

“Sebastian? See what’s bothering him.” 

“Is it really our place to pry, my lord?” 

“I don’t care if it isn’t, I just want to know what’s going on. So do as I say and go figure out what’s wrong.” The lord started to walk off to his room, letting his butler know where he’d be. 

The demon sighed. “Your majesty,” Sebastian called, all of a sudden he was right next to the god, causing him to jump and curse. “May I ask what’s going on between you and Iro?” 

“That’s none of your business, Sebastian. Now leave me.” Loki was stern, walking off a little angrier than before. 

“Judging by your comment from earlier, I’m assuming she didn’t tell you something. Take it easy on her, your majesty. I’m sure she’s worried about a lot, especially with a child on the way.” 

Loki stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at the butler with wide eyes. Sebastian was surprised to see the anger completely wash off of him. “What did you just say?” 

"That the lady Iro is expecting?” Sebastian tilted his head a little, “Were you not aware?” 

Loki shook his head no, walking back over to the butler as he mumbled about Iro not knowing herself. Before Sebastian noticed, Loki had him in a hug, which was surprising for many different reasons. “Thank you, Sebastian. I needed to hear that.” 

“You’re welcome, your majesty.” Sebastian pushed himself away, straightening his coat. 

“How did you know? I mean, if Iro didn’t know, how could anyone else unless she went to a doctor?” 

Sebastian gave Loki a grin, “Because, your majesty, I’m simply one  _ hell _ of a butler.” He then bowed and bid farewell to the king before leaving to find his master. 

“Oohh, I forgot he’s a demon,” Loki mumbled, rolling his eyes at the butler's joke. Then he walked off to continue what he was doing. 

The next night, Iro returned to Othos. It was about two in the morning, so she did her best to be quiet. When she got to her room, she quietly shut the door and changed, laying down with a quiet sigh of relief. After a couple of minutes, there was a kiss on her cheek, the action making her open her eyes and look to Loki who had himself propped up next to her. “Loki? What are you doing awake?” 

“No I was asleep, but I just woke up.” Iro gave him a small smile and kept waiting for him to say something. 

“I’m sorry -" they both stopped, chuckling awkwardly, Iro letting him go first. 

“I’m sorry, Iro. I was jealous and hurt that you felt you couldn’t talk to me about it. I shouldn’t have handled it the way I did.” 

“It’s okay, I’m -"

“Don’t apologize. You apologize too much, and this one I won’t accept. Well, I mean - I accept it! But you don’t have to tell me.” Iro chuckled a little at his short mumbling session, giving him a gentle kiss, moving some hair out of his face after they pulled away.  “Oh! And you need to know that I’ll be by your side the whole time. No matter what you need, I’ll do it or get it for you.” 

Iro narrowed her eyes, giving him a confused look, “what are you talking about?” 

“I’m so excited, Iro!” He didn’t even hear her question, excitement of being a father overwhelming him. “We’ll have to get a nursery ready and think of names. Wait but what if they’re a Frost Giant like me? I don’t want that for them -" 

“Loki!” He finally heard her that time staring at her a little wide-eyed. “What the hell are you talking about? You’re talking like we’re going to have a kid or something.” She chuckled a little. 

Instantly, a blush crept up his whole face. She didn’t know, and he just went on a tangent. “Well, we are.” 

Iro still stared at him, the words  _ finally  _ clicking. She shouted and sat up in bed, covering her mouth, “Oh god I think I’m gonna puke.” She groaned, taking a few breaths to keep from vomiting. “My god! That explains so much! Sebastian fucking smelling me, Zeus saying that my body is focusing on something other than my wings!” 

“Wait, did you just say Sebastian  _ smelled _ you?” 

“Loki I don’t know if I’m ready for this!” She looked over to him, worry in her eyes. She may be thousands of years old, but back in the real world, she was still only eighteen. 

Loki gave her a smile, pulling her into a hug and back down into a lying position. “It’ll be fine, min skjebne. You’re not in it alone, okay?” 

After a few minutes of Loki whispering sweet nothings to her, she finally fell asleep, Loki doing the same not long after her. 


	21. And Then There Were Four

It was the weekend before the Avengers Endgame premiere, at least for all the celebrities. As it was the summer of 2019, Katy had nothing planned other than homework, which was what normally took over her weekends.

However, at the moment the girl was completely focused on the task at hand. The buzzing of her phone made her jump at the sudden vibration on her arm. “Hey Tom! What’s up?” she called cheerfully into the phone.

_ “Do you wanna come to the Endgame premiere with me?” _ Straight to the point, apparently. This must be something he’s short on time for.

Katy chuckled, grinning at the question. “Hello Darling, how are you?” she mocked, earning a soft sigh from the man, along with an apology. “I’d love to go but there are multiple problems. I have class, I’m not a rich celebrity so I have nothing to wear when in attendance, and most importantly, the press would know we’re a couple if I went.”

_ “I’m sure you could miss one day, honey.” _

“That’s at the bottom of the list, Tom.”

Tom sighed again. Katy could picture him running his fingers through his hair in frustration.  _ “I don’t care if they know or not anymore. I want to be able to actually show you a little bit of affection in public without being worried. Plus, I really want you to meet everyone.” _ The conversation continued with him explaining why he wanted her to come and that he’d pay for everything, much to her dislike. After a few minutes of begging, she finally gave in.  _ “Yes! Fantastic. I’ll buy your ticket now, but you need to pack and head to the airport. It’s about 3 hours of driving, counting dropping your car off, yes?” _

Katy stuttered, shuffling to try and get her homework packed so she could go back to her room and pack for the weekend. “Uh, yeah. Tom this is really short notice!”

_ “I know, I’m sorry love. Be safe and I’ll see you soon, okay? Let me know when you get on the plane.” _

She mumbled an okay, slightly panicking with how much she had to do before leaving. She managed to get packed and on the road in twenty minutes, calling her mom while driving to tell her what Tom had planned. After the two and a half-hour drive, she made it to her friend's house and they took her to the airport, the girl rushing in to get to her flight. With the last call being announced, Katy ran up, calling to the flight attendant that she was the one they were calling for. She made it on and texted Tom that she was on the flight.

Making it to LA at around eight in the afternoon, Tom was in fact waiting for her. Katy grinned and shouted, “Tom!” The man’s head shot up from looking at his phone, a large smile spread across his face as he gave his girlfriend a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m good, darling. Happy you made it here safely.”

Their conversation continued as they walked to get her bags and continued out to the car, Luke already waiting for them. He gave the pair a greeting, mainly Katy, and opened the door for them, taking Katy’s bags and stowing them in the trunk.

The night was pretty relaxing, the two just watching a movie in their hotel room and eating pizza. The next day was pretty busy. The pair spent about as much time avoiding the paparazzi as they did shopping. For lunch, they met up with Hemsworth and his wife. Of course with Katy being a fangirl, she had a large grin on her face as she met the man who played Thor. Surprisingly, she wasn’t as nervous as she thought she would be. Monday would be a different story though.

And sooner or later the day came and Katy spent most of the morning with a personal hair and makeup stylist that Tom had hired, though the woman kept giving him warning looks. With Katy getting ready in their room, Tom went over to Luke’s room to give her some privacy. After a couple hours, it was time to leave and Katy was checking herself in the mirror, having second thoughts about the whole situation.

“Katy?” Tom knocked, opening the door when he heard a quiet response from the woman. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he was speechless, his face turning red. “Wow.”

Her dress was similar to the bridesmaids' dresses from her wedding as Iro, but it was lighter and had actual straps instead of spaghetti ones. She had a worried look in her eye, obviously not feeling the same way Tom did about the attire. “Do I look okay?”

Tom shook his head, pulling himself out of his daze. It was almost like he was Loki at the altar again. “You look amazing, darling! What don’t you like?” He walked up to her, standing behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders, looking at her through the mirror as she looked back.

“I dunno, I just don’t really feel worthy for this type of event. I’m not exciting or entertaining like everyone else. And I definitely don’t have the looks for-”

“Stop that,” he said sternly, gently squeezing her shoulders and giving her a smile. “My queen, you deserve to be up there just as much as everyone else, I promise you.” she looked down, trying to hold back her tears. “Hey hey! No crying!” he chuckled, turning her around and wiping away her tears, careful not to mess up her makeup. “You can do this, I know you can. I’ll be with you the whole time, okay? If someone asks you a question but you aren’t sure how to answer, just tap me twice to let me know.”

She grinned, giving him a nod. “Thank you.” Tom nodded, giving her forehead a kiss before leading her out of the hotel and to the car, the pair leaving for the premiere.

The whole time, Katy was decently calm with the press, but seeing all these other celebrities that made her anxious. Hemsworth was, of course, the first to greet the pair, excited to finally see Katy at an event with Tom. He’d wanted to meet her more than just over the lunch they’d had. After Hemsworth left, Katy and Tom took pictures, switching poses only slightly as they focused on different cameras.

“Tom! Over here!” said the first of many interviewers. Tom did as the reported desired, leading Katy over for the pair to get interviewed. “Good to see you again Tom, how are things?” the woman asked, wanting to start with something simple and polite before jumping into the major questions.

“Oh, things are fine. I’ve mainly been doing interviews and talk shows about Endgame, but I’ve had time to do a few other things.”

“That’s great, Tom. now tell us, who is this young lady with you tonight? She’s not one of your sisters, we all know what they look like,” she chuckled. “This is a new face!”

Tom smiled, glancing down to Katy and giving her a gentle squeeze, the girl smiling at his actions. “This is Katy, she’s actually my girlfriend. We’ve been together for several months now.”

“Oh? How exciting! And refreshing! If I remember correctly, you never really brought Swift to an event like this, did you? What’s different with Katy?”

The name struck a nerve in Katy, and apparently Tom too as she felt him stiffen at the name. “No, I didn’t. I guess my feelings for Katy are just stronger than they were for Taylor. Yes, most of our life together will be private, but I really want to show her all these experiences that I get to enjoy.”

The reporter went to say something else but Tom interrupted her, apologizing for cutting the interview short and explaining that they had to go inside for the movie now. The two rushed away, Tom sighed in relief when the doors closed behind him. “Well, that was interesting!” he chuckled a little, giving Katy a smile.

During the movie there were laughs and awe and applause and, unsurprisingly, Katy actually ended up sobbing a couple of times. Both Tom and Tom Holland found it kind of funny, but Holland, of course, was emotional too since he barely knew what was going to happen before seeing the movie. Tom gently squeezed her hand whenever she cried, the man trying not to laugh. She almost wanted to punch him but she was too busy being emotional.

After the movie ended Katy was talking with Tom and Holland about the movie, Tom having to quiet the two excited mini-adults as they walked outside so the two wouldn’t spoil anything. The two were hard to control when together. There were more flashes from cameras and calls to come over and do an interview, but none of them went forward. The three split ways and Tom and Katy headed to the front where Luke was waiting to explain that it would be easier to escort them to the car rather than pulling it around. The parking garage was basically right in front of them, so it wouldn’t be too bad.

As the mini group was on their way to the car, a small mob of reporters rushed them. Luke whispered into their ears, “You two go down that way, I’ll meet you at the parking garage.” Tom and Katy did as Luke said, the man holding off the mob while the couple got away down the alley next to said parking garage.

Hand in hand, the pair came to a sudden stop at the sound of a gun, Tom instantly pushing Katy behind him as a man confronted them. “Give your wallet and the woman’s purse and no one will get hurt.”

Tom held out a hand in front of him, “We don’t want trouble, sir.”

“Then give me what money you have on you! Now!”

Tom went to reach in his pocket, but Katy squeezed his arm, drawing his attention to her, the woman shaking her head no. “He’s shaking, Tom. I don’t think he can follow through with it.” she whispered. “Don’t give him anything.”

He was surprised she staying as calm as she was in the situation, but he was glad because it helped him stay calm as well. “I’m not willing to risk you on a hunch, Katy. I can make more money but there’s only one you.”

“Stop chatting and just give what I want already!” the man shouted, raising his gun a little. There was a sound down the street that drew the man’s attention, making him look away from the two for only a second. In that time frame, Katy and Tom were going back-and-forth, protecting the other. With the commotion from the two, The man freaked out and fired the gun.

Before he could blink, Tom was on the ground with Katy on top of him, his eyes wide as he stared up at her.  _ She’s clenching her teeth? _

“Are you okay?” Katy asked, looking him over.

Tom felt a slight wetness him, looking down to see that it was blood; Katy’s to be exact. “Katy! You’re bleeding!”

Before Katy could respond or even care, the man who shot her panicked and dropped the gun, running down the empty sidewalk. “Hey!” Katy shouted in a tone Tom had never heard before, the sound sending a chill up his spine as Katy rushed over to the gun, picked it up, took a breath and shot the man in the leg, causing him to fall to the ground in a shout of pain.

Then she dropped the gun, ran over to the man and put one knee on his back, using her good arm to pin one of his behind his back. Tom was quick behind her, glancing between the wound in her arm and the criminal. When he reached her, she was already pinning the man to the ground, but her own body was shaking from adrenaline and the pain from being shot. The first gunshot had gotten the attention of people across the street and they called the police. Luckily an ambulance was called in and when they arrived, Tom’s belt was around Katy’s arm to lessen the blood flow, and the shooter’s belt was around his leg for the same purpose.

Both Katy and the man were taken to the hospital to be treated. Tom didn’t leave Katy’s side even as she slept. She slept for a while, exhausted from the blood loss, but she instantly gave Tom a smile when she woke up, squeezing his hand a little.

“Why the _ hell  _ did you do that, Katy?” Tom’s eyes were red from the tears he’d shed. It was all he could do to keep the puffy blue marbles of his open to talk with her, weakened from lack of sleep and food.

Katy blushed awkwardly, but gave him a small smile before looking down at her hands. “I… I couldn’t help it. That… adrenaline that I get so often as Iro. The deadly addicting need to protect someone she feels so often… I had never felt that before in the real world.” She clenched her fists, forcing herself to look back at him, “When I felt that today, with that man, I couldn’t help but push you out of the way. I felt like a hero in my own way, Tom.”

He sighed, dropping his head to rest his forehead on her thigh, the girl stroking his hair, “You had to go and use the hero excuse,” he spoke quietly, trying not to let her hear his shaky voice, which wasn’t a success. When he lifted his head, tears slipped down his face before he pulled her into his embrace, which she gladly accepted. “I didn’t want you hurt either, Katy. It’s the man’s job to protect, why didn’t you let me?”

“Because it’s  _ our  _ job to protect each other, Tom.” Before their conversation could go much further, Katy’s mom busted through the door. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were puffy, but the worry that was aging her face went away as soon as she saw Katy sitting up, awake, and  _ alive _ .

“Mom? When did you get here?”

The woman ran over and pulled her daughter into a hug, tears falling from her face again. “Just a moment ago. Tom bought me a plane ticket.” Her face was burrowed into her daughter’s shoulder, words barely audible over the shuddering breaths she was heaving. “Thank god you’re okay, I was so scared.” Katy was about to say something when her mom pulled away. “ _ You! _ ” she exclaimed, pointing to Tom who froze under her fierce glare. “I trusted you with my daughter and she gets shot? How do you think I’m supposed to let this relationship keep going!” Tom was getting emotional at this point, already fragile after having berated himself for the incident. “How can I trust -”

“That's enough, mom!” Both Tom and Katy’s mom went wide-eyed, looking to Katy as she spoke up. Not once in her life had she talked back to her mom like this, it surprised both. “I love you so much mom, and I’ll protect and support you with my life. I’ll do the same with Tom, even if it means I have to step up to you.”

“What are you saying?” Diane crossed her arms, her angry tone now directed to Katy and not Tom.

Katy copied the movement despite the pain, confidence written on her face. “I’m saying that I will not tolerate you talking to Tom like that, especially when it wasn’t his fault. I’m the one that tackled him.”

“ _ You what? _ ” her mom exclaimed, throwing her hands. “You know about guns, Katy! You know they’re dangerous! Why would you do that?”

“Because I know about guns and I know that they’re dangerous, mom! Look where the bullet hit me -” she gestured to her upper arm, “- judging by the placement and where my body was when I was hit, Tom would have been the one to get shot, in a critical area nonetheless. So, I know you’re upset, but this was the best outcome and I’m happy that neither of us were killed because I probably would have died if Tom was shot protecting me.”

Her mom glanced to Tom then back to Katy as she continued to speak. “I know you’re scared, and I’m sorry. But  _ do not _ take that out on Tom. He did try to protect me, you can trust him when it comes to that, I was just stubborn and pushed him out of the way. You would have done the same if it was me, don’t even try to deny it.”

Diane sighed before turning to Tom and quickly hugging him. Tom jumped at the affectionate action but returned the gesture as she cried into him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of those things.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. Bell. I understand.”

“Don’t say it’s okay because it isn’t. You’re already family to me, Tom. I shouldn’t have said those things and I’m extremely sorry. Katy’s right; just because I was upset it doesn’t give me an excuse.”

Tom sighed a little, rubbing her back to try and calm her down as he glanced to Katy, “How about we go get some take out to come and eat with Katy. That sound good?”

“Actually,” the doctor chimed in, knocking on the door frame. “Katy’s free to go. We just need to give her some pain killers and she’ll be on her way. Although she does have to see a physical therapist in a couple days for a simple check-up.”

“Thank you, doctor.” Diane gave him a smile as she pulled away from Tom, “I’ll go give them our insurance, y’all wait here.”

“Actually, Mrs. Bell,” Tom chuckled awkwardly, a blush creeping to his ears as he scratched his beard a little. “I kind of already took care of it. I told you I’d take care of her, didn’t I? Even though she’s the one who took a bullet for me, I wanted to repay you and her for your troubles.”

She gave him a half-hearted slap on the arm with a gentle smile. “I’ve got dinner, then.” Tom smiled a little brighter and nodded.

A good hour and a half later, the three left and went out to eat. Katy was surprised to see the whole Avengers group joining them. Tom had let them know what happened, and they all wanted to come to the hospital but decided to come to dinner with them instead. Holland was especially concerned as he’d only just left them when it happened. After the meal, her mom flew back home and Tom flew back with Katy, requesting that he stayed in the general area with her for a couple days to make sure the earlier recovery days went well. Instead of staying at her dorm, Katy stayed at the Airbnb with Tom, but she still went to her classes of course.

In the fictional world, Iro was nearing the end of her pregnancy with only a couple weeks left. Over the past few months, things had gone well with everyone adjusting to their new roles. Ciel Phantomhive and his servants had been living with Iro and Loki for a few months while his new mansion, which was an exact replica of his old one, and his factory was built. Once those were completed, they moved out and started their lives in the 21st century, which was quite an adjustment for the young Lord and his group.

At the break of dawn, Iro finally woke up to start her day. Normally, the goddess would wake up at around 5, with Loki, to start her day, but the pregnancy was making her sleep more. A very common symptom and she didn’t mind the extra hours.

“Good morning, my queen,” Iro’s handmaiden greeted her as she closed the bedroom door. “Do you need any assistance this morning?”

“I’m alright, thank you,” Iro yawned, basically rolling out of bed since she couldn’t bend very well. “How are you this morning?” she asked, rummaging through her closet for something to wear.

“I’m good, M’Lady. Thank you.”

The rest of the time spent in each other’s company was in silence as the handmaiden made the bed and picked up the room and Iro got dressed. The morning consisted of breakfast and a couple tasks that she wasn’t able to finish yesterday. Loki spent a lot of that time with her, but he also had his own tasks to take care of so he wasn’t around all the time. When lunch came around, the pair ate before Iro left to the base. Upon arriving, everyone greeted her, excited to see their old boss.

“Hello Kyoya, how have you been?”

The man’s heard perked up at her voice, turning away from his task to greet her with a smile. “Miss Iro, it has been a long time since your last visit. How can I help you today?”

“I need to go to the BNHA world. We’re expecting a visitor today.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Oh? Offers for the first years are still coming,” Ken Ishiyama, one of the teachers at the famous hero school in Japan, UA high school, spoke as he continued to watch all the internship offers appearing on the computer screen. “There’s one more.”

“Who’s it for?” All Might, another pro hero and new teacher at the high school asked, walking up to the desk to take a look at the computer screen himself.

“Midoriya.”

“Really? Who is it...” All Might trailed off, peering over the man’s shoulder. The name finally registered with All Might, the man nearly having a heart attack from the shock. “This person is…!”

After his small meltdown, and the classes were over, All Might went to retrieve said Midoriya from the classroom, leading him to one of the more private hallways to discuss the internship. “Getting straight to the point, you’ve got an offer from a hero!”

“Huh?” Midoriya questioned, a surprised look on his face. After the school’s sports festival, his classmates got offers for internships, but none were for him. Until now. “What? Really?!”

All Might stood with his back to the boy, a shadow cast onto him by the setting sun. “Yes. The hero’s name is Iro,” he turned around only enough to look at the boy. “She was a teacher here at U.A. for only one year. The woman who was my homeroom teacher.” Midoriya’s face lit up with excitement the more All Might talked. “She knows about One for All, too. In fact, she probably asked for you because of that.”

“Someone that amazing is…?!” Realization suddenly hit him, the kid dialing down his excitement. “Wait, there was someone else who knows about the Quirk?”

“Iro was the sworn friend of my predecessor. She was thought to be dead, so for obvious reasons I didn’t count her… “ The man began to tremble, thinking of all the ways Iro could have known about Midoriya and how she knew he was given One for All, not to mention how she was alive after what had happened. “It’s scary… Too scary… Stop trembling, legs!” the man exclaimed, slapping said legs as he spoke.

_ All Might’s seriously shaking! _ Midoriya thought to himself, a shocked look on his face.

The man continued to shake, even more than he was before. “A-Anway, it is my duty to train you, but since you got an offer, you should go work to your heart’s c-content-t-t-t…” he shakily offered Midoriya a piece of a paper with what was assumed to be her address, but obviously, y’all know that it’s not her real address. Hurrah for universe hopping.

_ Just how scary is this lady? _ Midoriya questioned.

“Toshinori, I’m not that scary.”

All Might, Toshinori, and Midoriya jumped from the woman who was suddenly behind them, All Might spewing blood from his mouth. Quickly wiping away the blood, he turned to greet the now white-haired woman behind them. “Iro! When did you get here? How did you get here?”

“I just got here. And that’s a secret,” Iro gave a smile and a wink to the two, quickly shifting her attention to Midoriya who started to shake as she looked at him. “I’m not as scary as he’s making me seem, I promise.”

“Y-you speak Japanese?”

Iro nodded, “I do. But not very well, so if we can speak English that would be very much appreciated.” She gave him another smile, holding her hand out to shake his. “I know you don’t normally shake hands, but it’s a little difficult for me to bow right now, so this will have to do,” Midoriya took her hand, looking her up and down, only just noticing her heavily pregnant state. “I’m Iro, it’s nice to meet you, Izuku.”

_ Her hand is freezing! Even Todoroki isn’t this cold. _

“Iro? How are you alive?” All Might interrupted, the question that’s been on his mind since he got the news.

Shifting back to All Might, Iro’s smile fell slightly before she gave a small laugh, “I’ve been asking that for years!”

“And your hair? It was blonde before, why change it to white?”

“Oh, that wasn’t a choice, my friend.”

“And you’re pregnant! How are you supposed to train young Midoriya while you’re this pregnant?”

“Don’t underestimate me, Toshinori. There’s a lot I’m capable of that you haven’t seen.”

A silence filled the air after that, the three standing in an awkward circle waiting for someone to say something. Finally, Iro sighed, running a hand through her hair and turning her attention to Midoriya. “Izuku? Would you like to do your internship with me? Don’t feel pressured to say yes.”

The kid quick got a smile on his face again, nodding rapidly, “I would love to! Where should I go?”

“Meet me at the airport tomorrow morning at 7:30, no later. We’ll leave from there.”

“I’ll be there!” he exclaimed. A blush crept onto his face as he cleared his throat, gesturing down the hall. “I apologize but I need to head home. Have a nice evening, ma’am, bye All Might!” He waved to his teacher before rushing off.

“Walk me out, Toshinori?” Iro asked, a small smile on her face as she walked away, the pro hero quickly following her. “I’d like you to come with us. It’s not that I’d need you, I already know what’s been going on with Izuku, but I’d just like to invite you because I enjoy your company. So if you’d like to come, be at the airport at the same time as him, okay?”

“I’ll think about it. Thank you.”

The conversation continued with Iro catching him up on what’d been going on in her life. It was only a brief overview because details would take too long. Before they knew it, they were outside and it was time to part ways.

The next morning, Iro met up with Midoriya, but All Might was a no show. It was a little disappointing, but she honestly wasn’t all that surprised. Iro led Midoriya outside to one of the really small planes. Once they were on, the plane took off and went through the invisible portal to Othos, landing at the country’s airport only minutes after taking off. 

“What just happened?!”

“We went through a portal to another universe. Now we’re in my universe,” Iro stated nonchalantly, Midoriya looking at her like she was crazy, before switching into his pro-hero-fan mindset.

“So is this your power? Universe hopping?” he asked, extremely excited by the idea.

Iro narrowed her eyebrows, quickly turning to look at him. No one had ever actually asked that and made it seem normal. It was a nice change. “Uh... partially, yes.”

“That’s so cool! What else can you do?”

Iro chuckled, standing as the stairs unfolded so they could get off. “You get to be with me for a week, kid. Save some questions for later.” Midoriya nodded quickly followed behind her and the pair headed to her car which was already filled with supplies for the week. After getting into the car, Iro drove off towards the forest where she did the ritual to find her inner self. Once parked, the two got out and carried the supplies deeper into the forest to the spot Iro had planned for them to train.

They set up the tents and Midoriya gathered firewood for dinner, Iro preparing the food. The night was pretty relaxing, Midoriya asking a bunch of questions and Iro answering all of them. The next day consisted of meditation under a waterfall that had surprisingly warm water.

“How long can you stay under here, miss Iro?”

“Longest I’ve been here was 36 hours. I normally spend 12 hours though, which is what we’ll be doing.” Iro seemed to be really enjoying the warmth of the water which wasn’t surprising if she was still as cold as she was the day before.

“Miss Iro?” She hummed at him to continue. “Why were you so cold yesterday? Are you always so cold? Is that part of your power as well?”

“You have a lot of questions, you know that?” She chuckled a little, giving him a small smile. “Well, my husband is the cold one, he’s a Frost Giant, but normally looks like a human. Since I got pregnant, I’ve gotten colder and colder throughout the trimesters. So anything warm is really comforting it to me right now.”

“So, because the baby shares his blood, it’s making you cold?”

“Yeah, precisely. Now no more questions, focus on the meditation.”

In the afternoon, Iro had helped Midoriya figure out how to control his quirk, which actually ended up being surprisingly easy once he was able to compare it to something. But the next day was scheduled to be an exciting and surprising day. Not that either of them planned for it.

“What’s planned for today, miss Iro?” The boy followed her like a puppy as they hiked deeper into the forest. After figuring out a trick yesterday, he was eager to test it out.

“You’re gonna get reckless and break a bunch of stuff, like Bakugo would.” She chuckled, giving him a small smile before stopping the walk, looking behind her for the campsite. “Alright, this is far enough. You ready?” He gave her an excited nod, slightly bouncing on his heels as he waited for further instruction. “Alright, I want you to clear a…” she paused, thinking of a good size area. “Clear a fifteen by fifteen-meter square in five minutes, think you can do it?” He nodded again, Iro grinning at the answer and pulling out a stopwatch. “3, 2, 1, go!” With that, he was off destroying trees while she watched.

3 minutes and 30 seconds in, Iro suddenly felt an extreme pain in her stomach and felt like her body temperature dropped by another three degrees. She groaned and braced herself against the closest tree, waiting for the pain to subside. Once it did, it took only a matter of seconds for her to realize what was happening. She cursed loudly as she felt her water break and the liquid soak her legs and the ground beneath her.

“Izuku!” she called, but he didn’t hear her. “Midoriya!” she yelled louder, slamming a fist against the tree, causing it to slowly break in half.

“Miss Iro? What’s wrong? What did I do?” he jumped down from the tree he was currently in, the pressure of his quirk under his feet causing the tree to fall down behind him.

“You need to take me to the hospital. Right now.” Her breathing was heavy and she was gritting her teeth from the pain. “Please! I would do it, but I can’t right now.”

It was obvious he started to panic, but she knew he worked well under pressure. Well, at least decently well. “I - okay! You’ll be fine miss Iro, don’t worry!” As he picked her up, he hissed at the contact of her icy skin, but powered through the pain as he jumped from tree to tree.

“Here -” Iro grabbed the earpiece that was in her ear, and put it in Midoriya’s ear instead. “Call Loki, tell him to meet us at the hospital,” she groaned again, gripping onto the kid a little tighter.

Jumping from tree to tree, Izuku struggled to carry the goddess and concentrate his train of thought enough to tell the god about the situation. The sound of Loki’s voice frantically calling to someone on his end brought the boy out of his thoughts and back to the present moment.

“イロはちょうど労働に入った、あなたは病院で私たちを満たすために必要があります!”

“English, Midoriya!” Iro shouted, her exclamation making Loki start to internally panic.

“Iro is in labor and you need to meet us at the hospital! We’re on our way now, Mr. Loki.” The god hung up the phone before Izuku even finished talking. After a few more minutes, he finally reached the hospital, just in time too.

Landing just outside the entrance, Loki was already there, quickly taking Iro in his arms and thanking the boy before rushing her inside, Izuku right behind them. Like usual, the ones who weren’t family were told to wait out in the waiting room until they were called in. Midoriya paced back and forth and when he was forced to sit by an annoyed soldier his leg bounced rapidly.

After hours of labor, and the day now over, Iro had her twins. The sight of the offspring giving Loki mixed feelings.

“What’s with that look?” Iro slurred, the whole event exhausting her quite a bit. Not to mention she was still high from the painkiller they’d given her.

Loki immediately switched his gaze to her, worried she might pass out any second. “It’s nothing, my love. Just… they look like me.” Judging by his tone it was the children’s blue skin, markings, and red-tinted eyes made him uncomfortable, reminding him of the things he’d gone through in his life.

Before Iro could respond, the child Loki was holding changed himself to look similar to Loki, just like he had done with Odin. The other baby, the daughter, did the same as she looked up to Iro, the woman smiling back down at her.

“You worry too much, Loki.” Now with a second wind, Iro gave her husband a smile, who still looked worried. “It’s not the same with us, my love. Odin stole you for war purposes, raised you alongside Thor as an Asgardian, but never showed you the same love he showed Thor,” her statement gaining his attention. “We’re raising them with love, affection, and discipline. Teaching them how to use their strengths, and how to accept their weaknesses, learning how to work around them. You’re a great person, Loki, and I know you’ll be an amazing father. They’ll turn out just fine.”

During this heartwarming moment of childbirth, Izuku was back to pacing the hallway, biting his nails, wincing at the occasional scream from Iro, which was soul-shaking by the way. Kate walked out of the labor room with her hair pulled back, robe on, and her face sweaty, giving the boy a smile, “You’re Izuku Midoriya, I’m assuming?”

Izuku spun around at the mention of his name, eyes wide with worry. “Are they okay? Miss Iro and the baby?”

Kate widened her grin slightly, hoping the friendly face would calm him down a bit. “Come on, she wanted me to come get you.” She turned, walking back in the direction she came, Izuku hot on her heels.

The pair reached the door, and Kate grabbed the handle to let him in, “They’re sleeping already, so try to be quiet, okay?” She wasn’t quite whispering, but it was much quieter than her previous tone. Once Kate got a nod from the boy, she opened the door as quietly as possible to let him in.

“Miss Iro?” Izuku whispered, Loki immediately turning around, the sound alerting him.

“Izuku!” she gave a smile, her tone quiet so she doesn’t wake the twins. “Come say hello.”

As he made his way over, Iro held their daughter, and Loki held their son. His face lit up with admiration for the small humans, holding back the urge to touch one of them. “They’re adorable, miss Iro. They look so much like the both of you!”

“Want to hold one of them?” He didn’t hesitate to nod, causing Iro to chuckle a little. “Loki, can you hand him William?” Loki stared at her for a moment, surprised that she was actually comfortable with it. Though he gave in and handed the small boy to the newbie hero.

The move from one person to another woke up the baby, Izuku quickly giving hellos and smiles as he took him into his arms, rocking him back and forth. “Mister Loki, he has your eyes,” Izuku smiled up to the god, catching a slight blush on his cheeks before Loki turned his head and mumbled a  _ ‘thank you’ _ .

“After this Izuku, follow Kate and she’ll make sure you get home.”

Slowing down his rocking pace, Izuku turned his gaze to Iro, a slightly disappointed look on his face. “I have to go? Already?” 

“Yeah, I’m sorry. But Lida will need you, so go back and find him as quickly as possible, okay?”

At the mention of his friend, Izuku handed William back to Loki, did a bow in thanks to Iro, and quickly left the room, Kate following behind him. Once the door closed, the sound ended up waking up the other baby and causing her to cry, Iro finding it kind of funny that Loki was already groaning at the sound. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I apologize for taking so long on this chapter, there has just been a lot going on. I had my birthday in October, got another tattoo(#fairytail), had midterms, went home for Thanksgiving, and now I start finals next week and leave to go home, so it's been a little busy *awkward laugh*. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Also! I apologize in advance if the Japanese line isn't 100% correct. I put the phrase in a translator, and pretty much just went with that. I started taking Japanese this semester, and it seemed at least mostly correct XD 


	22. Imitation Game

Months had passed, and not too much has really happened. The twins, William and Arwen, were almost 7 months. Despite their age, physically and mentally, the twins were almost two, aging three times as fast as regular humans. Although, both Iro and Loki expect they’ll stop aging (for the most part) once they reach maturity. Lastly, Katy ended the spring semester, with basically all A’s, and spent quite a bit of time with Tom over the summer. 

After the shooting, the attention Katy got from paparazzi skyrocketed, now that she was a little more known.  Not only the paparazzi, but students from around campus would flood her, causing her to have panic attacks almost on an everyday basis for a little while. Over the summer, it died down quite a bit. 

Summer was over, Katy turned 19, and now it’s almost time for her to go home for Thanksgiving! A week before she was going to leave, Tom came up and was going to spend the week with her at the university, and go with her for the holidays. What she didn’t know was that Tom arranged with Katy’s mom for his family to come join them for the holiday. 

As the bathroom door opened, Katy’s attention was drawn to the man in the doorway with a towel wrapped around his damp body. A blush crept to her face before she shifted her gaze back to the anime show playing on her TV. 

“Hey, Love?” Tom spoke, the sound of his toothbrush gliding against his teeth echoing quietly throughout the room.

“Yes?” she dragged out the word, keeping her eyes locked on the TV screen. _Does he really not see a problem standing half-naked in the doorway??_

“We leave next week right? After your class ends on Monday night?” Hearing a yes from the bed, he hummed as a response as he spits into the sink, letting the water wash it down. Once the door was closed again, Tom changed, hung up his towel, and walked back out, leaning against the bed and halfheartedly pulled Katy close to him. “I do want to make you aware of something that's kinda important.” 

Narrowing her eyes a little, she looked up to him with her arm wrapped around his waist, and his finger tracing a circle around her new scar. “What's that, love?” 

“Mind pausing?” he gestured to the TV, a scene playing from Maid-Sama between the two main characters. Of course, she paused the show then turned her attention back to him. “So, my family is flying into town Monday morning and will be flying with us back to your house. They’ll be with us for Thanksgiving so you’ll finally get to meet them!” 

Katy pulled away a little, looking up to him with a slightly panicked look in her eye. “ _What?”_

“Hey hey!” Tom chuckled a little, stroking her hair and sending her a gentle smile. “It’s gonna be fine! I’ve already arranged everything with your mom. My sisters will stay in your room with us, and my mom will stay in the guest house.” 

“Thomas it’s not about the arrangements, I figured you already had that all sorted out. It just-” she groaned, rubbing her hand across her face, earning a slightly worried look from the man above her, “- this will be the first time I’m meeting your family. I’m worried that I'll make a bad first impression! What if they don’t like me? What if I’m not up to the standards they wished for in your partner!” She was cut off by a kiss to the forehead. A familiar feeling of comfort, like bundled in a warm blanket with hot chocolate on a cold winter night, ones she’d grown used to. Closing her eyes at the gentle touch from Tom, she took a breath to calm herself, Tom pulling away once he heard her calm down. 

“You have no idea how excited they are to meet you, my Love,” he whispered, lifting her face up to look at him. “Just be yourself. I’m sure they’ll fall for you as quickly as I did.” 

Later, in the wee hours, Tom woke up with a weird feeling, unable to fall back asleep no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts wouldn’t let him. Carefully getting out of bed, he quietly walked out into the kitchen and called his sister, waiting patiently for her to answer. 

“ _Tom? Are you okay? It’s really early in the states right now isn’t it?”_

“Good morning Emma. I’m sorry for calling you so early, but I… Wanted your advice on something,” he glanced over to the bedroom door for a moment as she responded. “I’m sorry, what?” 

“ _I said of course. What is it?”_

“I’m a little worried that Katy is getting a little bored with my romantic gestures. I know she really likes some things that anime characters do, and I was thinking I could maybe copy a couple and see what she does. Thoughts?” 

“ _Tom from what you’ve told me about her, I’m sure she loves your gestures. But, if you’re feeling insecure about them, I say do something new and see what happens. Sorry Tom, but I have to go know, I’ll talk to you later. Love you!”_ Before he could respond, she had already hung up, Tom assuming she was at work or driving. 

With a new spark of inspiration and his second wind, he snuck back into the bedroom to get his laptop, charger, and earbuds then went back into the living room to start his ‘research’. Morning rolled around and Katy slept through her alarms. It was by miracle alone that she woke up and rushed out the door, waking up Tom in her haste. 

When Katy got back from her lunch break, Tom was dressed and at the kitchen table, typing away at his laptop. “Hi love, how was your run?” She kissed the top of his head before setting her stuff down and rushing around to get her lunch cooking. 

“Hey! Oh, I didn’t go this morning. I was up late so I slept in.” 

“Slept in?” Katy narrowed her eyebrows, leaning on the counter in front of him. “What do you mean you didn’t go? You weren’t in bed?” 

“No, I was sleeping on the couch. I woke up when you left.” 

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up!” She walked into the bedroom, taking off her hoodie and tossing it on the bed. As she turned to walk out, Tom was in front of her, he pushed her against the wall with his own body, but wasn’t aggressive about it. 

As Katy’s face heated up, Tom’s left forearm was above her head to support himself. Leaning closer to her with a smirk on his face, he gently gripped her chin in his hand, stroking her bottom lip with his thumb. “It’s quite alright, my Love. I went right back to sleep and dreamt of you.” his voice was smoky, causing Katy’s face to heat up even more. 

“T-Tom? What are you doing?” her voice was small, the girl felt all kinds of emotions, making her thought process all jumbled. 

Tom began to answer but was interrupted by the sound of the microwave. Immediately, he went back to his usual cheerful self, stepping away from Katy and rushing to the kitchen, “That’s your food! I’ll get it out for you.” 

Katy was left frozen in place, confused and aroused by his sudden alluring action. For a moment, as it processed, she bit her lip. She then shook her head and her face heated up once more at the invading thoughts surfacing. Katy cleared her throat then walked out, taking the seat next to him. She didn’t really have much time to eat, so Tom left her alone for the most part. 

“Okay I’ll be back later!” Katy grabbed her backpack from her bed and rushed towards the door but was stopped once again, Tom having grabbed hold of her arm. “Tom?” 

Tom had pulled her close to him, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other hand on top of her head, Tom kissing her forehead gently, “You’re going to do great in class today.” 

As Katy’s cheeks dusted pink, she hummed a response, pulling away and giving him a smile, “I will. I’ll see you in a little while Tom.” She kissed his cheek, and rushed out, the door slamming shut behind her. 

Tom stood staring at the door, giving a sad sigh to the empty apartment.  “Love you…” 

The week passed with more character impressions, and a few… close calls for Katy. Finally, the week ended and Monday came. The couple took a shuttle down to the airport. After asking a few people they found out that the workers for their airline wouldn’t be back until 3:30 in the morning. Currently, it was a little past 11 at night. 

“Really?” Katy groaned sitting down with a defeated sigh. “We have to wait out here for four hours?” 

“Sadly, yes darling.” Tom chuckled a little, sitting down next to her and taking her hand. “It will probably go quicker than you think it will. Plus, you have company this time so it won’t be as bad.” Tom kissed her hand, trying to lighten the mood. Of course, it worked. 

They passed the hours mainly talking, watching a show on Katy’s laptop, and Katy walked around in a circle every now and then while Tom amusedly watched with the occasional chuckle. “Are you pacing because you know my family is upstairs and you’re nervous?” 

Katy suddenly stopped, stared at him for a moment and then groaned out a _yes_ , making Tom laugh. Finally, the hours had passed and they were able to go upstairs, Katy groaning in frustration when she saw shops with food (that were currently closed) directly above them, and groaning once more when they had to walk around the whole airport to the other security entrance since theirs was closed. 

Every now and then when they were walking, Katy would have to stop and take a few breaths, feeling dizzy from the quick movements combined with the lack of food. Tom, of course, would stop with her. After the second time, he stopped and check her forehead, groaning a little. “You’re warm, Katy. you said you were dizzy too?”

She nodded as her response, glancing up at him. 

“When was the last time you ate, darling?” She turned away with the question, mumbling her answer as she looked at the floor. With a huff, Tom grabbed her ear and tugged a little, repeating the question but a little more firm this time. 

“Okay okay! Lunch before we left..” 

“You’re telling me you haven’t eaten since the one rice cake at noon, which was over twelve hours ago now?” She nodded. “And water?” Of course, there was no answer. “Katy! That’s why you’re dizzy!” Tom tugged on her ear a little again, making her groan. “You need _something_ in you. So let’s get past security, and find out when the stores open so you can get some food and water, okay?” With a confirmation from Katy, Tom took her duffle bag, slung it over his shoulder as she protested, took her hand, and led her the rest of the way. 

Once through security, it didn’t take very long to get to their terminal and for Tom’s family to spot them. There was a gasp, drawing both of their attention to the woman who made the sound. “Tom!” the woman exclaimed, running and tackling him in a hug. “I’ve missed you!” 

Tom steadied himself in time so the two didn’t fall backward, laughing a little at her enthusiasm. After a moment of catching up, the sister switched her focus to Katy as Tom went to see his other sister and mom.

“You’re Katy right? It’s so good to meet you!” Katy chuckled a little as she was pulled into a tight hug, “I’m Emma!” 

“I’m Katy, it’s nice to meet you too Emma,” Katy smiled, shaking to woman’s hand. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long for us.” The two talked a little more as they walked over to Tom and the others, Tom introducing Katy to the rest of his family. 

After a couple of hours, the group finally got on the plane to head back to Katy’s house. On the flight, it didn’t take very long for Katy to fall asleep on Tom, and Tom to fall asleep on Katy, his sisters fawning over them every now and then to their mom. 

Having finally arrived at their destination, Tom rented a car and they drove to her house, Katy’s mom excited to see and meet everyone. “Katy!” she exclaimed, rushing out of the house to give her a hug. They did their exchange and Tom, of course, introduced her to his family. 

“We’re sorry to leave, but Katy actually has a hair appointment in just a little while. Sarah, I’m gonna leave the keys with you, so if anyone wants to go exploring you have the keys,” Tom explained, turning to Katy’s mom. “Mrs. Bell? Do you mind if we take your car?”

“Yeah, sure! Keys are in the visor,” she smiled, gesturing to the car as she spoke. “Hiddleston’s, I’ll show you to your rooms if you’d like!” Of course they followed her, and Katy and Tom went to her appointment. 

“That’s a great look on you Katy,” Tom cooed, ruffling her newly cut, newly styled hair a little bit. “Very mature.” 

“Hey hey!” she quickly took his hand off her head, placing it in her own. “No messing up the hair,” she chuckled, “but thank you, I really like it.” It was much shorter than it used to be. Her hair was too short to even rest on her shoulders when it used to be to her bra-line. 

Once they got home, the rest of the night was spent baking with Katy’s mom’s students, and of course, Tom was asked tons of questions. Finally, it was 11, Tom’s mom had already gone to sleep, the students had left, then Katy, Tom, Katy’s mom, and Tom’s sisters had all gone upstairs to head to sleep. 

With Emma and Sarah in the bathroom getting ready, Katy plopped down on her bed with a groan, her legs hanging off the side of the bed. Without a word Tom stood between her legs and pulled her into a hug, letting loose a deep breath. “Sorry for the long day, Tom. I’m sure you’re tired.” 

“It’s fine, darling. I spent time with family, so it wasn’t a terrible day,” Tom gave Katy a smile as she looked up at him, her chin resting on his chest. _Adorable._

“Oh no, we didn’t walk in on anything did we?” Sarah chuckled a little, both sisters awkwardly peering around the dresser. When they were given the okay, they both walked over to the other queen-sized bed in the room, plopping down just like Katy with a groan. “Ugh! It’s so nice to be in bed!” 

“I agree, I’ve missed this comfy bed of mine,” Katy fell backward, smiling at the sisters as Tom still stood between her legs. 

“Oh? Is it that comfortable? Well maybe I should join you,” Tom picked up Katy’s legs and placed them on the bed before crawling on top of, and over Katy, the girl softly chuckling under him before he fell beside her with a sigh. “Oh, you’re right! Much more comfortable than your bed at uni.” 

“Hey!” Katy exclaimed, hitting him playfully on the chest, “it’s not _that_ bad. Just smaller than this one.” 

“Okay okay, you can talk more about the bed tomorrow but I want to sleep, goodnight you two.” Emma saluted for a reason she couldn’t name, and Katy turned off the light before cuddling into Tom, one leg over his, her arm over his torso, and her head on his chest, the group falling asleep almost immediately after the lights went out. 

The next day wasn’t very interesting. Katy’s mom, Diane, went to work, so did her husband, and Katy’s brother Kenny. Katy took the students out to deliver the baked goods they had made the night before, and Tom took his mom and sisters out to explore the town since he had been there a couple of times before. When the day came to an end, everyone went to bed, except Tom and Sarah couldn’t fall asleep. 

“Tom?” she whispered, seeing if he was awake, receiving an answer. “How much do you like this girl? I mean. She’s twenty years younger than you, so why her? What makes her special?” 

There was silence as Tom looked down to the girl asleep on him, softly stroking her hair. “Yes, she’s much younger than me, but we feel like we’ve known each other for years. We don’t have that much in common, but that doesn’t really bother either of us. She’s special because she doesn’t care about the money or fame. She enjoys it, but that’s not what’s important to her. “She genuinely cares for me, I think, and wants to get to know every single thing about me so she can relate to me.” As he spoke, he continued to stroke her hair, just to make sure she was still asleep. “You know, she told me she never really liked Shakespeare, but she actually bought Hamlet, with a modern English translation, so she could have something else in common with me.” He huffed a laugh, trying not to move his chest too much. 

The way Tom talked about Katy made Sarah smile, reminding her of herself and Emma when they would talk to each other about their husbands before they were married to them. “And?” 

“And what?” 

“Do you want to marry her? The way you talk about her, it sounds like you do.” 

Tom’s face heated up, the man covering his face with his arm, even though the room was dark. “Yeah… I do.” A grin spread onto his lips as he pictured Katy in a white dress, walking down the aisle to him. 

In the morning, when Katy began to wake up, it was a little harder to breathe, which obviously wasn’t normal. Moments passed and she finally woke up, the girl groaning at the weight on top of her that would shake every now and then. Finally, her eyes opened and she looked down, seeing the cause of the weight with a very concerned look on her face. 

“So you can hear the voices of the far shore?” Tom spoke quietly, a weird grin on his face as he had his arms crossed under his chin to support himself. There was silence between the two, Katy staring at the man laying on top of her while he just gave that creepy smirk in response.

“Wha-” 

“Your mom wanted me to wake you up.” 

Silence reigned once more. 

“And _this_ is how you chose to wake me up?” Katy chuckled, letting a grin slip onto her lips. 

“Aha!” Tom jumped up, standing in a power pose. “First smile of the day! Quest complete!” 

Katy raised an eyebrow at him. He’s normally an energetic puppy dog, but this was _way_ off his level, something was definitely up with him. “Tom are you feeling okay?” she asked as she hopped off the bed.

“I’m fine! Just trying to make today a good day for my darling, that’s all,” he smiled, walking around the bed and kissing her forehead. “Get dressed and come downstairs, we need to help with cooking.” 

Katy mumbled an ‘okay’ as Tom walked out, starting the day a little happy and a little confused. In no time at all the woman was dressed, downstairs, and heading into the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her mother. She wondered what they were making.

“Say, mommy dear?” she began in her best British accent.

Across the room, in a low voice, Tom replied, “What is it now, _daddy_?”

Kenny gave Tom a strange look, already preparing to get the shotgun from upstairs, “ _What_?”

Tom didn’t reply, however, his sister tilted her head back and barked out a surprised laugh. She high-fived Tom, the exchange being noticed by Katy who simply shook her head in exasperation. Whatever he did, she didn’t want to know. The morning came and went rather quickly, everyone focused on finishing the preparations for their late lunch/early dinner. _Would it be a linner or a dunch_ , Katy mused. 

With the first knock on the door, Katy’s mom perked up her more neutral attitude, “Tom would you mind getting the door?” 

He nodded and planted his right fist over his heart, the left reaching behind his back. “Yes, ma’am!”

Her mom turned to Kenny and held out a few carrots. “Can you check on the horses real quick and give them these?” Kenny shrugged and nodded.

As he left, three people entered; Tom leading Cynthia and Lela. Family friends assumingly. Katy’s mother immediately sent the two to begin cutting up vegetables at the island counter. As soon as that was finished Katy’s mother looked up from the rolls.

“Tom? Would you get Kenny for me?”

A grin slowly spread across his face. “One moment.” He stepped over to the back door, opened it, and let out a huge, angry yell. “ _KENNYYYY!_ ” The sudden sound startled the women who turned their gazes to him in demand for an explanation. A screeching _‘what!’_ came from the outdoors. “Time for dinner!” he cheerily replied.

Kenny rolled his eyes and began the trek back into the house. As soon as he stepped on the porch a crow came barreling in front of him, scooping up the butterfly that had been fluttering around the flowers. Ah, nature, how thou art ever heartless.

The food was amazing, as per usual since it was Katy’s mom who did most of the food prep. Of course, that may just be the proud and happily fed family that spoke of her kitchen skills. Katy particularly favored the homemade stuffing while Tom preferred the buttered rolls and jam. But as soon as dinner ended, their guests left and the younger adults took up cleaning as a personal mission

“Tom, y’all are the guests! I should be the one cleaning,” Diane protested, both Tom and Katy pushing her towards the stairs. 

“We got it, mom! You did most of the prep so we’ll do the cleaning, now go to sleep,” Katy smiled, gently pushing her up the first couple steps, her mom mumbling an ‘okay’ as she gave in, making her way up the rest of the stairs. When the door closed behind her, Katy sighed softly, grinning a little. 

“What’s that for?” Tom questioned, grinning back at the girl as he led her back to the kitchen, his sisters already starting the chore. 

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just really enjoyed Thanksgiving this year, that's all.” 

Tom stopped, narrowing his eyes slightly at her, “As in you haven’t been enjoying the holiday?” He sounded a bit sad as he spoke. 

Katy sighed a little, sending the grin on her lips in his direction, along with a shrug. “Hey, what can I say, it’s been dull the past few years. Your little antics all day made everything a lot better,” she chuckled, tugging on Tom’s ear a little before walking into the kitchen, starting her duties of washing the dishes. 

Half an hour passed and nothing eventful happened. All of the children, as in Tom, his sisters, Katy, and her brother worked in comfortable silence. With Tom’s sisters helping Katy’s brother take the extra tables and chairs to the other house, Tom figured this would be the only opportunity he would have, even if he didn’t like it, for him to do another anime character. 

“Ya know Katy,” Tom spoke up, earning a hum from the girl as she scrubbed at one of the pots. “I don’t think I ever told you how good you looked today,” he walked over, running his hands down her butt as he continued, “your cheeks were perfectly shaped in those pants,” Katy tensed a little under his touch, her face turning pink the more he stroked her behind. 

“And your breasts!” he hummed in satisfaction, wrapping his arms around her and gently squeezing her boobs, earning a squeal from Katy as her face turned red as wine. “Perfectly perky, my dear. One might even say-” he leaned down, kissing her neck before whispering in her ear, his voice husky, “ _ravishing._ ”

“T-Thank you, Tom. you might want to back away, they’re coming back,” Katy whispered, fighting an urge to start a make-out session right then and there. Or slap him for acting in such a place.

“What were y’all talking about?” Kenny questioned, Tom’s quick actions to move away from Katy drew his curiosity, the man narrowing his eyes between the two for a moment. 

“Nothing for you to be concerned about Kenny,” Katy responded, giving her brother a slight grin. “Tom, can you please dry those pots? I’m gonna wipe the counters.” Tom responded with a ‘yes ma’am’ before getting started on the pots. With the two of them occupied and nothing left to do, Tom’s sisters and Kenny all turned in for the night while Katy and Tom finished. 

With Katy humming a song, Tom started quietly reciting a chant from the last anime character he’d be imitating, “Santo Rita Mita Maeda Ringo Jonah Tito Marlon Jack La Toya Janet Michael Dumbledora The Explorer... Santo Rita Mita Maeda Ringo Jonah Tito Marlon Jack La Toya Janet Michael Dumbledora The Explorer.” 

“Ah _fuck,_ ” Katy sighed, frustration in her voice as she stopped her activity, crossing her arms as she glared at Tom who was staring at her a little confused. 

“What’s that look for?” 

“Seriously Tom? _Anime characters_? You’ve been imitating anime characters for weeks now and I’m _just now_ noticing because of that stupid chant.” She shook her head, a light chuckle escaping her lips. “Why?” 

“Honestly?” Katy nodded, waiting for Tom to continue. The man sighed as he put down the dish he was in the middle of drying, running his fingers through his hair before leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. “I was worried you weren’t satisfied with my gestures. Watching you get excited and giddy over these different anime characters gave me the idea to try out some of their personalities and see what your reaction was, to maybe give me more things to do.” As he explained, Tom kept his gaze on his feet. 

The more he talked, the softer Katy’s expression became and the closer she got to him, even if he didn’t see her. With his explanation finished, the distance between the two closed as Katy buried her face in his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Tom was taken aback by the gesture for only a moment before he held her in return. 

“You’re so wrong, my love,” Katy whispered, tilting her head up to look at him. “I love your gestures more than anything. No matter how small they are.” Tom placed a hand on her face, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb as she continued. “And I always do that with fictional characters that I like. Even though I do, they’re fictional, and you’re the one who has won my heart.” 

“You’ve always had a way with words, you know that?” 

“You’re changing the subject.” 

Tom chuckled, gently pulling her into a loving kiss. When they pulled away, he gave a small sigh of relief, the weight from his chest having been lifted by her words. “Let’s go to sleep. We’ve had a long day.” 

“No kidding, Mr. perv,” Katy huffed, playfully elbowing him in the side and Tom protesting that she’s wrong, which she ignored as they rushed to the bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn’t post this sooner. I wanted to, but things weren’t going like they normally do. I hope you enjoyed the little filler chapter! I’ve got a lot of shit happening in the next few chapters so be ready for some little twists, a first, a bitch, and some character development. XD  
> ~ K-the-queen
> 
> I want to see who can find and name all the references.  
> ~ Lumos


	23. One For Sorrow

The sound of Iro’s scream collided with a boom of thunder and a shock of lightning, lighting up the room. The woman stared out the window and focused on the heavy pitter-patter of the rain to try and calm herself. Her heavy shudders and shivering form was outlined as another crack of lightning flashed.

At the sound of the scream Loki sat up in alarm. “Iro? You okay?” Loki whispered as he rubbed her back, trying to calm her. “What happened?” 

Iro was quiet, sighing a little as she gripped the sheets, looking over to her husband, “I think Katy might be in trouble.” Sudden determination set and and she set her mind on the task in front of her; getting to her friend. As she stood, the candle in the candle holder next to the bed lit up

Loki sat up, watching his wife shuffle with a curious eye. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to get to them like you do with the other worlds?” It had been a while since Iro had acted so… hastily.

“Of course I am. What kind of question is that?” Iro huffed, sliding on her robe and grabbing the candle holder. As she opened the door, she looked over to Loki who was still watching her from the bed. “Are you coming?” 

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes still locked on her. “Uh - yeah.” He stumbled out of bed, following her out of their room and down the hall. “How are you going to get there, Iro? It’s a world without magic, so the portals won’t work.” 

“You think I don’t know that?” she snapped. After a moment of silence, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry. It’s just… the dream has me really worried, and I need to get there for her like she's here for me.” 

“I get that, _min skjebne_ , but what’s your plan? You mustn’t act without thinking first.” 

“You’ll see, just follow me.” Iro took his hand, leading him down all the stairs. Once on the bottom floor, she led him to the kitchen and into the large pantry to the back wall. “Hold this,” she handed Loki the candle holder, who gave her a confused look yet held the light anyway. Feeling around the tiles on the wall, she found the one that activated the secret door. As it slid back and to the side, dust fell from the crevices and the ground shook slightly. 

“A secret room?” Loki questioned, following his wife down the dark staircase as the door closed behind them. 

“Not exactly. You’ll see.” As they walked further down the stairs, torches magically lighting their path as the pair walked past them. 

“Oh? After all these years, you’ve finally come to see me again?” a deep voice echoed from the bottom of the stairs.

“Iro!” Loki whispered, this whole situation worried him a little. He didn’t know who it was or what it could do and that was dangerous, especially for his wife.

“Hush!” Iro responded, brushing off his concerns as they continued to walk down the stairs, finally coming face to face with a grand door, a face protruding from the stone. “Hello, demon.” 

“Even doors get lonely, you know,” the face pouted. 

“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy,” Iro chuckled giving him a small grin. “This is my husband Loki, by the way.” She stepped to the side, gesturing to Loki who stared at the door in mild surprise and suspicion.

“Yes yes, I know,” the door groaned, rolling his eyes. “You’re not here to catch up, Iro. have you decided to open me?” 

“Maybe. You lead to the real world, don’t you?” She crossed her arms, frowning.

“You’re supposed to find out what’s behind me _after_ you open me, young lady. The only thing you’ll be getting from me are your instructions, nothing more.” 

Iro groaned, cracking her neck a little. There were very few people in her lifetime that she didn’t mind taking orders from and a demon door was not one of them. But Katy needed her help... “Fine fine! What are my instructions?” 

“Wipe out the red, cleanse the blade. Make amends among the stars, for the moon now shines bright.” 

The color from Iro’s face quickly faded as she stared at him. “No! No, no!” she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him.

“Hon-” 

“That can’t be the only way to open you! I can’t go back there, you damned door!” 

“If you want what you seek, Goddess, that is what you have to do! Now get it done. You don’t have much time, do you?” he mocked, a small smirk spreading across his stone lips. 

She groaned yet again, gesturing to strangle the door before spinning around and heading up the stairs. “Come on.” 

Loki looked from his wife to the door, and back again before following her, skipping stairs to catch up to her. “Iro talk to me. What’s going on, what do you have to do? Why can’t you go back there, and where _is_ there?” He was completely lost from what was happening and he refused to leave her side. 

“I’ll tell you later, once I get back from there.” 

“No, Iro,” Loki grabbed her wrist, the woman twisting glare at him. “Iro, I’m your husband, your other half. I’m not letting you do something on your own while I sit back. I’m going with you no matter what you say because that’s what a partner _does_.” His voice was gentle, not wanting to upset her more than she already was, though firm in stating his opinion. “Now tell me what’s going on. Please.” 

Iro looked away, clearing her throat before turning her attention back to Loki. “Back when I first created the island and its people, they nicknamed me Moon for a little while because I lit up their night. I didn’t want them to live in complete darkness. The name stuck for a couple years but I got tired of it.” 

She bit her lip and Loki nodded for her to go on. 

“The blade he was talking about is an item called a ‘lightsaber’ from the Star Wars universe. Shortly after the events with Zeus, maybe a hundred years after, I went to that universe. I wasn’t the same person back then… I did terrible things that I deeply regret.” 

Loki glanced at the ground before them. “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I was scared you’d leave me if you knew…” 

“Honey, I’m sure I did worse things when I was under Thanos’s control. I would never leave you over something like this.” He gave a small grin, trying to lighten her mood. 

“No Loki…” she whispered. “I don’t think you understand.”

“Then help me understand.” He squeezed her hand, worry spreading across his face. He hated seeing her like this. She sounded so… defeated.

“Can I explain as we get things done? We don’t have a lot of time, you heard the door.” Loki nodded, and Iro led him back into the main part of the castle, the secret door closing seamlessly behind them, before teleporting them to the base. Their usual fighting attire appeared as they made their way to the portal. 

Once through the portal, they were in a forested area. There were planes, or spaceships, all around, small barracks stationed around, and one larger base in the center. As they appeared, people stared at the, shock adorning their faces. You would too if two people just popped out of nowhere. Before they could even greet the people around them, Iro pushed Loki behind her as a blue glowing blade pierced through her torso, Loki’s eyes widening as he stood and watched.

“I was that bad, Leia?” Iro chuckled, giving a smile to the older woman in front of her, the one that had just stabbed her. Terror was written across the war general’s face. 

“How the hell are you alive? You’re supposed to be dead!” 

“There was never a body, Leia, or even traces of me disappearing like other Jedi. Therefore, I am not dead,” she said, giving a mocking bow to the princess.

“Who’s the person with you? Sith?” Leia pointed her saber to Loki, Iro completely blocking Loki from any access. 

“He’s my husband, Loki. Stay away from him, he has done nothing wrong,” she snarled, her eyes turning a dark red as she stared the woman down. 

“Has she told you about the things she did? The people she killed! The families she destroyed?” Leia shouted to Loki. 

Iro snapped her fingers, bringing the attention from her husband and back to herself. “I’m a changed woman, Leia! I’ve paid for my sins many times over! Not just for what I’ve done here, but for the things I’ve done everywhere.” 

“Proved you’ve changed, _snake_.” 

“Hey! Do not call my wife a snake, old hag!” Loki growled before being pushed back by Iro again. “How can you let her talk to you this way, Iro? She has no right.” Loki asked. He settled the woman with a glare.

“She has every right to talk to me this way.” Iro looked back at him, giving him a reassuring grin. “I told you I did horrible things. Just be happy she only stabbed me once,” Iro whispered before turning her attention back to Leia. “Give me a new saber, one that hasn’t been used yet, and you’ll see the color is no longer red.” Iro’s voice was calm as she spoke, trying not to provoke any more anger from the general. 

Leia hesitated, but ultimately acquiesced the request. A lightsaber was brought forth and given to their intruder. Iro activated the lightsaber and true to her word it was blue instead of red. “Alright. I believe you, but don’t think I trust you one hundred percent.” 

“That’s fair,” Iro nodded, giving a sad smile to Leia this time. “I am sorry for the things I did in the past, truly. I can’t change what happened but I can change my future, which is what I’ve been doing for a long time now.” 

Leia ignored the apology, crossing her arms as she spoke. “I trust you’ll be leaving now? I _know_ you aren’t here to apologize, so go do what you’re here to accomplish. Just get off my base.”

“Actually I’m here for two reasons. To cleanse my old saber, and to make amends with you. You don’t have to like me, but I _need_ to make amends.” 

Leia narrowed her eyebrows, looking Iro up and down for any sign of dishonesty. She found none, and yet… “Take care of the other task and then we’ll talk.” She walked away without another word, leaving Iro and Loki to themselves. 

The other soldiers on the base had already continued with their work, but they did keep an eye on their general. The moment she walked away they resumed their normal pace.

Iro sighed and rubbed her face once Leia was out of sight. “God damn. This is gonna be interesting,” she chuckled awkwardly, giving a grin to Loki. 

“Was what she said true, Iro? You really did all that?” 

Iro’s face turned pale again and worry was written across her face. “Yes. I know it’s not an excuse, but I was in a really bad place back then.” 

Her husband smiled gently and pulled her close. “I’ve done the same, remember? New York, all the way at the beginning.” He inhaled deeply, taking in her fresh flowery scent before opening his eyes to stare into hers. “We’ll do this _together_. Now where do we go first?”

Iro gave a smile, instantly perking up. “My old home. I left my lightsaber hidden, so we need to go get it.” 

“Lead the way,” Loki winked, holding onto her hand. 

In the bunker, a man walked up to the older woman that led the Resistance. “Um, general? Why are you staring at them?” Poe questioned. Leia was indeed staring at Iro and Loki from her window, refusing to tear her eyes from the pair. 

As Iro led Loki away, he looked up and right into the window, directly at Leia, and gave her a glare until he was out of sight. She may need to watch out for him if tended to hold grudges. Not to mention they knew nothing about the man.

On a distant and deserted planet, the couple trudged through the sand dunes and up the small mountain where Iro’s old home had lain dormant, now beaten up by the elements. “This is it.” 

The home was similar to Luke Skywalker’s. It was a stone house, now dulled to white and covered in sand and dust. The roof was a dome and it had extensions on either side that were also curved in their own dome-like structures. The wooden window shutters were broken and rotted, along with the sky blue door that was no longer blue but instead a faded grey. Inside, the lights and the furniture were broken and dulled of its color. The floor had a layer of sand and dust, while the higher spaces had dust alone. 

The two stood outside the door, Iro mindlessly staring at the building while Loki looked between it and his wife. “Iro,” he called softly, squeezing her hand again. “It’s okay. There’s no going back, remember? You’ve changed for the better. Walking into an old house won’t do anything.” 

She nodded, eyes still locked on the door as she squeezed back. “It’s still hard.” 

“Want me to go get it?” 

She shook her head no, letting go of Loki’s hand to clap her hands together. “I’ve got this!” she cheered, trying to boost her attitude before storming in. “If you see anything that may be useful to the Resistance, grab it. We’re blowing up the house when we leave.” She went straight to the back to what he assumed was the bedroom. 

An hour passed and she finally emerged from the bedroom, something small wrapped in a cloth held tightly in her hand. “You ready?”

Loki’s search throughout the house hadn’t proved very fruitful, though there were some things still salvageable. “I found some canned food that may still be good, and some weapons are in pretty good shape, but they might need minor repairs.” Loki stood, slinging a relatively old pack over his shoulder. 

Iro gave a thumbs up, leading him back outside. “Awesome. Let’s get going.” And thus they were off back to the camp, the house exploding in the background much like a good action movie, though Iro would deny having it set off for that very purpose. If she was in the mood, they would have even been moving in slow motion. 

Once back at the camp, Iro headed straight to the weaponsmith and took apart the lightsaber. There was no point in purifying a lightsaber unless she didn’t have access to the kyber crystal inside. Leia pulled the curtain-door to the side as she walked through, her tone stern as she spoke. “Did you get it?”

“Oh good morning Leia. No, we just got back and have yet to start the process. Also, I had some things at the house that I figured might come in handy for the Resistance. It’s all in that backpack over there.” 

She nodded, looking over at the bag then back to Iro. “So,” she started,  glancing at Loki who was sitting next to his wife with his arms crossed, focused on Leia. “Why did you come here? I know you said you needed to cleanse the crystal and make amends, but why _exactly_ do you need to do that?” 

“I have a friend who might be in trouble. She’s very important to me and I need to help her. These are the things that I have to do in order to do that.” Iro’s attention was focused on the crystal. 

“Well, I hope you can help. If you want to make amends with us, there’s something you can help us with.” 

“Leia, I don’t know if I have enough time to help that much. I already know what’s going to happen and I’d be happy to help, but I doubt I have the time.” 

“Well make time, Iro. You’ve had over twenty years to change and help. It would have been easier on you if you came earlier, but this is what I ask.” Leia stood her ground, puffing her chest slightly as she spoke. They needed help and she remembered well what the woman could do. It was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

Iro gritted her teeth, a sigh of frustration escaping her lips. “Fine. If that’s what you wish.”

Focusing her intent on the crystal, Iro pushed forward her connection to the Light side of the Force. At first, nothing happened. Suddenly the crystal began to screech, sending the three occupants of the room into shock but the goddess was steadfast in her approach. She wanted it back to its purest form before she encountered the thing. Her mind continued to push the light and the crystal slowly began to clear, its ear-piercing scream dying out until it was silent. The crystal was cleansed. Iro put the lightsaber back together and activated it, the weapon’s glow now a pure white instead of the terrible red.

* * *

Winter break came quickly after Thanksgiving, almost like a bullet train that Katy had read about and seen videos of. They looked rather fun, to be honest. Tom, of course, had come to spend the holiday with Katy’s family, and she would be spending New Years with Tom’s family, even though Diane would miss her daughter. 

Luckily, a fund raiser popular for celebrities that Tom had already promised he was going to, was happening only a couple hours from Katy’s house. It also happened to be the same weekend they would be arriving. Everyone loved it when plans aligned and there wasn’t as much hassle in getting their schedules in order.

The closer they got, the more excited Katy became. Her hard semester was over, and she was finally going to get the month-long break to visit friends and spend time with her loved ones. Although, since there were two people capable of driving, they decided to just push through and do the whole drive at one time, so Katy was currently asleep in the passenger seat. Besides, who was she to complain about extra snooze time?

“Katy darling,” Tom called, gently shaking the girl to wake her up, “you’re getting a lot of phone calls. It might be your mom.” 

The woman groaned, disappointed that her nap was interrupted. Slowly, she regained consciousness and it finally registered that her phone was in fact ringing. “Hello?” she answered, her voice laced with sleepiness since she wasn’t quite awake yet. A question came over the line that Tom couldn’t quite make out over the sound of the heater. “This is her, can I help you?” There was a moment of silence as she listened to what the woman on the other end had to say. Suddenly, she sat straight up, her face pale and eyes wide, already filling with tears. “T-thank you. I’ll be there soon.” Her tone was tight, obviously shaken from what the woman had told her. 

“What happened? Who was it?” Tom asked, his eyebrows narrowing as he looked between his girlfriend and the road. 

_“My mom is in the hospital.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ssoooo this is gonna get a little interesting. The chapter will be in parts, at least two, so yeah. Also, if we didn’t purify the kyber crystal correctly, please let me know. As far as I was concerned, it hasn’t been revealed how that is done. Thanks guys! 
> 
> Also, I know it’s a tiny bit late, but HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY FANDOM QUEST!! WOOHOO!!!


	24. One For Sorrow Part 2

The last hour of their drive was hell; Katy couldn’t sit still even if she tried. Her body was shaking in anticipation of seeing her mom and her heart ached at possibilities running through her head, making her emotional every now and then, which was when Tom would have to calm her down. 

Finally they reached the hospital, Katy running in and Tom hot on her heels. “Where’s my mother?” Katy shouted despite Tom’s pleas for her to quiet down in the hospital. 

“Miss what’s your mother's name?” a nurse asked from the desk.

Katy rushed over to the man, practically slamming her hands on the table. “Diane Bell.” 

The moment the name left her lips the nurses face went pale, which caused Katy to panic even more, the fear visible on her face. “ _Where is she?_ ”

“Uh… she’s in room 136, but-” 

The man couldn’t even finish before Katy rushed down the hall to see her mother. “Mom!” she exclaimed, busting through the door.

Once in the room, there was her mom’s husband, Tony, sitting next to a bed with a sheet covering the person in it. He was staring at Katy with wide eyes. “Where’s my mother, Tony?” Katy gritted her teeth, her body still shaking. He didn’t answer, he only glanced at the bed. 

The realization hit her and it was like she short circuited. She couldn’t hear Tom talking to her or feel his firm grip on her shoulders. Was she breathing? It felt like she was sinking to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Her heart felt like it was going to burst, the woman clutching her chest as she ran out of the room and back to the nurse, unable to hear Tom’s calls. 

“Diane Bell, I need her belongings,” she demanded, her tone full of emotion but still stern. 

It was the same nurse from earlier that rushed around behind the desk to find the belongings. Luckily, it seemed her mom’s purse wasn’t even touched. With the purse slung over her shoulder, she unzipped the outside pocket, keeping her hand on a familiar grip as she walked back down the hall to the room. 

“Who was driving the car, Tony?” Katy asked, giving the man a death glare and completely ignoring her boyfriend next to her.  

“I was…” 

“And whose fault was it Tony? You, or the other driver?” she pressed, her anger building up by the second. 

Tony hesitated, glancing to her hand before looking back to her face. “It was my fault, Katy. I’m so sorry…” 

“You son of a bitch!” Katy yelled, dropping the purse as she pulled out the gun to point it at him.

“Katy no!” Tom shouted, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to the ground in a kneeling position with him. “Drop it Katy, you’ll regret it if you don’t,” his tone was gentle and caring, but the death grip on her wrists didn’t lessen. 

“You don’t understand, Tom! She told him _repeatedly_ , practically every time they drove, that she _hated_ the way he drives! That her scares the hell out of her everytime she drives with him! This murderer didn’t listen!” Her anger at Tony was slowly taken over by her distraught and frayed nerves.

“I know, honey. I know…” he whispered. “I’m so sorry, but you need to drop the gun. I can’t let you hurt yourself even more than you already are.” He dropped his head to her shoulder, his body starting to tremble with his own emotions. But Katy needed him to be strong, so he willed himself to not cry. And she gave in and dropped the gun, her sorrow pouring out. She turned around, burying her face in Tom’s chest as she cried. 

* * *

Mere minutes before the Resistance left to join the final battle, Loki and Iro within their ranks, Iro suddenly got a stabbing pain in her heart. She shouted aloud, clutching her chest and falling to her knees, the pain not subsiding in the least. It only seemed to grow.

“Iro! What’s wrong? What's happening?” Loki asked, kneeling next to her and gripping her shoulders. 

Iro began to cry, letting out a couple quiet sobs and apologies before answering. “I’m too late to stop it…” 

“Are you saying what you’re feeling is Katy’s pain? Is that even possible?” Loki questioned. 

“If she’s feeling an emotion in extremes, it is possible.” Iro now stumbled to get up, using Loki as a crutch her up and groaning in pain. “Poe!” she called, Loki helping her walk around to find the man. “Poe!” she called once more, finally finding him right before he was going to get on his plane. 

He put down his helmet, rushing to help Loki keep her up. “Iro? What’s the matter? What happened?” 

“I _need_ to know I made amends with the Resistance. _Please_ tell me I did…” she begged. 

“Okay, yes you have. Thank you for your help and we hope to see you soon,” he gave a nervous yet kind smile, patting her back a little. 

Iro sighed in relief, telling him thank you before teleporting herself and Loki back to the castle and the staircase in the pantry. “Okay door, I’ve done your task, now let me through.” The pain had gone down a little, enough for her to push through and function on her own, but it was still bad. 

The demon door smiled wickedly. “Good job, child. I’ll let you through, but be warned that you’ll be in her world in the form of a mere specter, a shade. Unless she realizes you are there, you won’t be able to communicate with her.” Iro nodded in understanding and the door began to open, revealing a swirling portal of pinks, blues, and greens. And at the very center was black, pulling the colors into its void.

As Iro stepped in, her body began to turn transparent. When she turned around, Loki was unable to follow her. “Loki!” She reached for him but she was already too far through and the doors began to close. “Watch the kids! I’ll be home soon!” she yelled, hoping he heard her before the door closed completely. 

“Damn,” Loki mumbled, glaring at the door. Focusing on the door, he crossed his arms in an attempt to seem intimidating. “Why the hell didn’t you let me through?” 

“I only allow one to pass at a time. If I let more people through, the God of her world may notice the inconsistency. So suck it up buttercup, and leave me be for now,” the door told him before his face merged back with the door, the demon sleeping until Iro returned. 

* * *

“Katy!” Kenny shouted as he rushed down the hall. He hadn’t heard the call while at work. On his lunch break he heard the voicemail and rushed over to the hospital. 

Katy stood in the hallway, holding herself in her arms while Tom rubbed her shoulders. When she was called, she perked up ever so slightly, looking at her brother. “Don’t go in, Kenny,” she whispered. 

“Why not?” He gulped, glancing between his sister and the door. “Is she… okay?” he asked quietly, not wanting his sister to hear the emotion in his voice. 

Katy was quiet, looking down at her feet. “You’ll kill him if you talk to him. I almost did.” She looked up to him, seeing the anger spread across his face. _Is that what I looked like?_  

“Is… is she gone?” Katy nodded as a response. As Kenny turned to go into the room, Katy pulled him into a hug to keep him from going in, and to try and comfort him. It was a hug he couldn’t return. “I’m moving out of that house. I can’t live there with him Katy.” 

“I know. Me either. I’m just lucky I have the apartment at school to live in. Right now though, we need to plan things out; figure out what we’re going to do.” Kenny nodded in agreement.

And the two of them talked about possible plans for quite a while, Tom interjecting every now and then. 

As they were talking, the portal Iro went through opened at the front of the hospital. When she stepped out, she headed inside the hospital, walking straight through the walls. As she explored and tried to center herself, a female voice rang out loud and clear. _I recognize that voice,_ she thought to herself, following the sound. The moment Katy came into sight, she stopped, staring at her friend. It was the first time in almost five thousand years - or 7 years on Katy’s end - that she had actually seen Katy as herself and not in the same body. The moment was almost surreal. 

Iro groaned, shaking her head to pull herself from her thoughts. She walked over to the three, standing over by Tom, just observing for the time being. Of course, there wasn’t much she could do anyway.

After their conversation, they started planning the funeral for the following Wednesday. Tom took Katy to the city and their hotel, and Kenny was going to start getting everything planned. Katy wanted to help, but her brother refused since they had an event to attend. 

The drive was quiet for the two, Katy holding onto Tom’s hand the whole time, taking small naps every now and then to get away from the reality that was haunting her. Once they got to the hotel and up to the room, Tom ordered room service. They spent the rest of the evening eating and watching TV, though neither of them paid any attention to what was happening on the screen. 

“Katy?” Tom finally spoke up, holding the sleepy girl in his arms. He got a weak hum as his response. “Let’s cancel tomorrow. This is too much for you, I don’t want to put you through that.” 

“No no,” she quickly looked up at him. “I need to go, it will be a good distraction for me.” Katy explained, tightening her grip on his shirt. “Please don’t cancel. I need this.” 

Tom stared at her, studying her facial features as he decided whether or not he was going to listen. “Alright, we’ll go. We should get to sleep now though.” He scooted down to get comfortable, holding Katy in his arms as she laid her head on his chest and draped her arm across his torso. 

Throughout the night, Katy woke up and shifted quite a bit. Her body and mind were restless, keeping her awake for most of the night. At one point, she was laying on her side, back towards Tom, and knew Tom was asleep, so she let her guard down and emotions out. She desperately tried to silence her sobs with her hands clasped over her mouth, putting in an effort to minimize her trembling. 

After a few minutes, Tom wrapped her in his arms, holding him close to her. “She’s really gone, Tom… I’ll never hear her voice, I’ll never smell her scent or be held in her arms again…” she cried, gripping onto Tom’s arms. 

“I know, my love… I know it hurts, and I know that pain may never fade away. But I also know that I’m here for you, no matter how hard things get for you.” He gently kissed her cheek before scooting back so she could turn to face him, which she gladly did, burying her face in his chest yet again. Tom held her close and stroked her back, resting his head on top of hers and shushing her quietly. Then he started singing a song for her, his soft tone calming her down and letting her drift to sleep. 

Once she was snoring, Tom let out a sigh, shifting a little so he could stare at the ceiling. “What am I gonna do for her…” he mumbled. 

“Tom…” Iro whispered, desperately trying to make contact with one of them. She had been doing everything she could think of since they got to the hotel. She tried turning the TV on and off, but that didn’t work. Tried the same with the lights too. 

“Tom!” she exclaimed, hitting him across the face, which only caused him to sneeze. She groaned in frustration, plopping down on the bed with her arms crossed, there wasn’t even a dent in the bed where she sat. _Dammit. This is more difficult than I thought._

The next morning, Tom had ordered room service again for their breakfast while they got ready. By the time the clock read eleven they were ready, which was good timing because they had to get there at twelve. Tom was, of course, wearing a black suit and a bow tie. His hair slicked back and shoes polished and shiny. 

Katy’s dress was a black spaghetti strap A-line dress. The back was gone, there was a very low cut on the sweetheart neckline, and red flowers wrapping around the waist and up her chest, lining the very top of the dress. Though her hair was shorter now, it was in loose curls, beach waves her mother would call them. 

Tom gave a smile, taking her hands in his as she walked out of the bathroom with the dress on. “You look gorgeous, Katy. Absolutely stunning.” He spun her in a circle, allowing him to see all of her. Normally, it would earn him a little chuckle, but all he got was the smallest grin Katy could muster. 

“Thank you, Tom. And you look as handsome as always.” Katy gave him a kiss on the cheek before letting go to put on her shoes. “We ready?” she asked, Tom humming in response as he grabbed her clutch for her, the pair walking out to the car where Luke was waiting. 

Once they got there, Katy recognized more people than she thought she was going to, which was probably a good thing for her. There were all the Marvel actors that she had met before and had made friends with, Johnny Depp, Mathew Mcconaughey, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, and a lot more people that she recognized, but didn’t know their names. 

After pictures were taken and Tom answered interview questions, they headed over to Hemsworth to say hello to him and his wife, the four exchanging hugs. For the most part, Katy was tuning the conversation out, looking around for more people that she may know. Sadly, she spotted one Miss Swift, someone she’s had bad blood with for a while. Luckily, Tom tapping her shoulder drew her attention back to the people in front of her. 

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” she asked, eyes on Tom. 

“No it was me,” Chris chuckled, sending her a smile. “How has your mom been doing? You visited her yesterday, right?” he asked, curious about how the woman had been doing. He had met her mom a couple times, but hasn’t seen her in a while. 

Katy’s face went pale a little, but instead of staying quiet, she started to laugh, Tom giving her a strange look. “She’s good! I have to go now, enjoy talking with Tom. I’ll go find the younger Tom now.” She gave her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek before rushing off, false smile quickly falling her once her back was facing them. 

“Katy!” Holland exclaimed, rushing over and pulling her in a tight hug. “How are you doing? How’s your mom?” He smiled, but Katy went pale again. “You okay? You look a little pale?” 

“Sorry Tom but I gotta go,” she rushed off again, back over to her Tom who was trying to find her.

She’d almost been… off during the day. Though it was understandable, he couldn’t help but feel worried about her. It was almost like she was bottling up her feelings and pushing herself to not feel. “Are you okay?” he asked. 

She nodded, gripping onto his arm to stay close to him, “Yeah. Can we just go inside please? Too many questions for me to handle right now.” 

Tom didn’t hesitate to lead her inside. As they walked through the doors, Jared Padalecki, one of Katy’s favorite actors, was only a few feet from them. “Oh! Mr. Hiddleston! How are you doing?” the giant puppy smiled, holding his hand out to shake Tom’s. “And you, Miss Hart?” 

“We’re just fine, thank you. And you know Katy?” Tom questioned, a little surprised. Jared was the first person he didn’t have to Introduce Katy to, it was kind of refreshing.

“Oh, yeah! Only a little though. She went to a couple conventions in Phoenix with her mom a few years back. I didn’t recognize her at first, but then I remembered the pizza thing she did with Misha. It was cute and very sweet of her.” 

Katy couldn’t help but blush from his comments, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear as the ghost of a smile made its way onto her face. “You remember that? I’m honestly surprised, Mr. Padalecki.” Tom could only watch her face, his own grin appearing on his face. It hurt a little that he wasn’t the one to make her genuinely smile again, but he was just glad she smiled, even a little. 

“Please call me Jared. Oh! And if you ever need anything, say, whenever Tom is out of the state and can’t get to you, just call me or Jensen. If that’s okay with Tom, of course.” 

“Hmm?” he hummed, looking back over to Jared, his words finally registering. “Oh, yes. Thank you. I’d really appreciate that, actually. Can I get your contact information?” Jared nodded, pulling out his phone and going through his contacts. “Katy why don’t you go find where Chris is, and I’ll be there in just a moment.” She gave a quiet _‘okay’_ and they gave each other a kiss on the cheek again before Katy left. 

“Tom? I know this isn’t my place… but is Katy alright?” Jared spoke quietly, glancing behind him to make sure Katy was out of sight. 

“What makes you think she isn’t?” 

“Well… when I mentioned her mom, her eyes got dark, or sadder than they were before I had said it. Did something happen?”

Tom was silent for a moment, glancing down at his feet, deciding whether he should tell him. But he saw no harm in informing the man. If he was gone and Jared and Jensen were the only ones around, he’d rather at least one of them be informed. “Sadly, her mom passed away from a driving accident yesterday. I really should thank you, though. I’ve been trying to get a smile, but you were the first one to get it out of her.” Tom chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his neck.

Jared’s heart sank when Tom explained what had happened. He didn’t remember her mom very well, but he did recall that they were extremely close. Tom had said that her mother died _yesterday_. And here she was, fighting back her emotions for the sake of Tom’s reputation at this event. He knew exactly how that fight must feel, since he had done the same a couple times before. 

“No offense Tom, but why the hell is she here? She should be at home with you.” 

“I know,” Tom glanced to his feet. “I told her last night that we shouldn’t come, but she insisted and I didn’t want to overwhelm her by pushing her to stay, so I gave in and here we are.” 

Jared nodded in understanding. The two spoke a little longer after exchanging their contact information before they headed into the large ballroom that was used for the event, Tom taking his seat next to Katy and Jared taking his seat next to his wife. 

As time passed, the room quiet other than whoever was currently talking up on stage, Katy’s heart sunk deeper into the well of sorrow and her mind deeper into the it of negative thoughts. It was stupid of her to think that coming to an event like this, where she had to be on her best behavior for Tom’s sake, would be the better option from staying at home with him. She needed out, before the dam holding her emotions broke into a million tiny pieces. 

“I’ll be back Tom,” she whispered, giving his hand a squeeze before getting up and going to the restroom, not giving Tom enough time to respond. 

Once in the restroom, she glanced around first to make sure no one was in the stalls before sighing and sitting down on the chair in the corner, her face in her hands. _Finally, I’m alone._ She thought to herself. She needed time alone to gather and filter her thoughts. When she heard the door open, she stood quickly and rushed out of the restroom, brushing past Scarlett. 

“Hey kiddo! You okay?” she had noticed Katy’s puffy eyes, causing her to worry a little. 

“I’m fine, thank you. I’ll see you back at the table,” Katy only waved to the woman, refusing to lock eyes with her at the moment. _Why now, of all times, are people saying hello to me left and right?_ She groaned in frustration, going to the only other place she could think of to be by herself. 

Ten minutes had passed, and Tom began to grow worried. Deciding to investigate, he left to go find her, also walking by Scarlett on his way out. “Oh, Scarlett! Have you seen Katy by any chance?” he asked, trying not to make it obvious he was worried. 

“Oh, yeah. She was walking out of the bathroom when I saw her. She seemed upset, is everything okay?” Scarlett saw Katy as family ever since she started dating Tom, and the two hung out pretty often. So of course she would be worried for her friend.

“Oh um,” Tom stuttered. “Yeah. Yeah it’s fine.” he mumbled, his focus on trying to find her other than the conversation. Looking over at the door to the stairwell. There must have been something in his drink, because he could have sworn he saw Iro, right next to the door. 

The realization hit him like a freight train. His heart felt like it sunk to his stomach and he felt sick. “Oh no,” he mumbled, his eyes wide. apologizing to Scarlett, he ran past her to rush up the well, the door slamming against the wall as he threw it open. 

He wasn’t the only one to come to the same conclusion. As Tom left, Scarlett fast walked back into the ballroom to get the other Marvel cast members, letting them know what might have happened. Of course, they were all worried and also went with her to follow Tom. 

 _Don’t do it Jared. Don’t do it._ The man thought to himself, having just overheard the conversation between Scarlett and the others. He wanted to go help, but he knew he shouldn’t. It wasn’t his place. 

“Hey man, you okay?” Jensen spoke quietly, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder. He had been acting strange since he walked in after talking to Tom, almost like he had been sad. What had happened that he didn’t know about? 

“Do you remember a couple years ago, at the Phoenix con, the girl that gave Misha pizza money, just because?” Jensen nodded, it was nice of her. “Well Tom’s girlfriend, she’s the one who did that.” 

“You’re kidding?” 

Jared shook his head before continuing. “Her mom died yesterday, and I’m pretty sure I just heard that Tom went after her on the roof.” 

“Well what are we doing here? We should go help, shouldn’t we?” Jensen spoke up a little, scooting his chair back in preparation of going. 

Jared hesitated, reminding himself it wasn’t his place to interfere. 

“ _I just wanted to say thank you. I was going through a really hard time, but you and the show gave me the strength to get through it,”_

He groaned as the memory played through his head. Honestly, he was surprised that he had remembered exactly what she told him. Maybe he had a push? 

“Okay, let’s go see if we can help at all.” 

Katy sat on the roof with her legs dangling at the edge. She wasn’t necessarily considering jumping, but the idea was in her head. She couldn’t stop the tears from running down her face. The liquid leaving a warm trail on her cheeks as the cool air blew her hair away from her face.  She wanted nothing more than to see her mom, say her goodbyes. But that was taken away from her so quickly, her heart wasn’t sure how to process it. So many emotions have gone through her since yesterday, it almost made her nauseous. 

She never heard the door burst open about a hundred feet from her. Eyes locked at the cityscape in front of her. 

By the time Tom reached the top, he was completely out of breath. The man crouched over as he tried to bring the air back into his lungs. The scene in front of him was almost certainly from a nightmare because there was no possible way Katy would be sitting on the edge of a building. A gust of wind rushed past him and the woman’s blonde hair flipped and twisted rapidly in the air. 

The wind sent a shiver up his spine, reminding him that yes, it was real and yes, she was on the ledge and he needed to help her before he lost her. _Distract her_ , a familiar voice whispered to him in the wind, causing another shiver. “Katy!” He called, rushing over to her, but not quickly enough to startle her. _One wrong move_ , his mind whispered to him. “Katy, honey, you’re scaring me. Please come back?” His voice was soft and laced with sorrow. He kneeled down behind her, a gentle hand placed on her shoulder to try and calm her down. 

Her red-rimmed blue eyes locked on the cityscape, refusing to look back at him. The strong-willed and cheery facade having fallen. “I need a moment to myself, Tom. Would you please go back down?” she whispered.

He shook his head. “Sorry love, but I can’t do that.” 

Her breath hitched and he turned to face him, slipping from the edge of the building and onto the rooftop. “I miss her so much, Tom. I didn’t even get to say goodbye!”

“I know, love,” he moved to wrap his arms around her, gently stroking her shoulder. “I know.” Tom laid his head down on her shoulder. “But you don’t need to do this - we can stop this, right now, you and I.”

Katy shook her head adamantly, fists gripping onto the fabric of her dress. “Why shouldn’t I? What’s one reason why I shouldn’t?”

He lifted his head, trying to look at her face. He was silent for a moment, trying to decide if now was the time to tell her. Coming to the conclusion that if she felt the same, it would get her back, he decided to confess. “Because… because I love you, Katy. I love you, and I want to marry you, and I want to have a family with you and spend the rest of my life with you. There are people in this world, and other worlds, that love you and care for you too. Your mother wouldn’t want you to end your life, and if you did, I would follow you my love.” 

The more he spoke, the more emotional she became. Katy dropped her head and let the tears fall freely, letting a sob escape every now and then. Finally, she turned in his arms and buried her face into his chest as she cried. Tom pulling the two of them away from the edge, a wave a relief rushing over him. 

He rubbed circles on her back and whispered in her ear. “It’s okay to cry Katy. You can be vulnerable around me.” 

And that she did. Pretty much right away, she directed her cries toward the sky, the yell painful and her volume as loud as she needed it to be. Tom held onto her a little tighter, rubbing her back to comfort her anyway he could. Before long, the both of them felt another breeze go past them, a voice whispering in their ears. 

_Thank you._

_I love you._

“Did you hear that?” They both asked, eyes wide as they looked at each other. Deep down, they both knew who it was.

Iro fell to her knees, it chest feeling a thousand times better than it did. “Thank god she’s okay…” she would have lost her best friend, something she couldn’t afford to happen, for multiple reasons. 

“Who are you and why are you hanging around my daughter?” Diane’s voice was strong, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the woman on the ground. 

Iro eyes widened and she jerked around to face Katy’s mother, staring at her in shock. “You’re Katy’s mom? It’s so nice to finally meet you!” she almost cheered as she stood up, taking Diane’s hand in her own and shaking it violently, the woman overjoyed to find someone who could see and hear her in this world. 

“What do you mean by ' _finally'_? Katy has never mentioned someone like you to me before.” Diane pulled away, taking a step back as she eyed the woman up and down. She wore a strange outfit, like something she would see in a movie, and her hair was an unnatural color, obviously dyed. 

“Oh,” Iro chuckled, blush creeping onto her face as she rubbed the back of her neck, an awkward chuckle escaping her. “I’m a friend of Katy’s from a fictional world. My name is Iro Laufeyson. Wife of Loki Laufeyson and queen of Othos, a country in another dimension that Katy created about seven years ago.” 

Diane just looked at her like she was getting crazier and crazier the more she spoke, until she heard a familiar name. “Loki? Do you mean the fictional Marvel character played by Tom?” Iro nodded rapidly, looking at the woman like an excited puppy dog. 

_Who the hell is this lady?_

“I’ve never seen you in the Marvel movies before, I would have remembered your face.” 

“Oh! I’m not in the movies. Katy created me with her own imagination.” 

Diane looked between Katy, Tom, and Iro in front of her, trying to piece everything together and see if she could tell if Iro was telling the truth or not. “Is that why they got in a relationship? Because they had known each other already? From this other world or whatever?” 

“Precisely!” Iro smiled, walking over to the pair who sat on the ground, running her hand down Katy’s head in a loving matter. “You could say that Katy is my mother, in a way.” The smile on Iro’s face was almost forlorn as she watched Katy. “She's very important to me.” Now looking at Diane again. “I had a vision two nights ago that she was going to be hurt, and that’s exactly what ended up happening. 

“When you died, the pain in her heart was so strong, that I felt it in _another dimension._ I did whatever I had to so I could get over here and be here for her. Sadly, I didn’t know that I would be like a ghost, so I can’t really communicate with her. Although I think I managed to get Tom to see me, which was surprising.” 

“Well, I’m glad Katy has you then.” 

The first drop of rain hit Katy’s tear stained cheek, grabbing her attention toward the sky. It hadn't been cloudy all day, so where did the rain come from? Katy held her hand out, allowing more drops of water to land in her palm, causing a smile to appear on her face. It had to be her mother’s doing. The warm feeling it gave her calmed her nerves. 

“We should go inside, my love. Before it starts to pour.” Her attention was drawn back to Tom, but before she could answer, all of their Avengers friends busted through the door, causing Tom to snap around toward the sound, his attention on them. “What are you doing up here?” 

“Scarlett said you came running to the roof after Katy. We were worried,” Holland panted. The group had been shoving their way past one another as they all came up the staircase, almost like it was a race.

“Is she okay?” Scarlett asked, looking around Tom to see Katy safe in his arms, a sigh of relief escaping her. _Thank goodness._

The question brought a grin to Tom’s face, the man turning back to Katy, who looked up at him. “I told you people would miss you,” he whispered, moving a strand of hair from her face. Tom then stood and took Katy’s hands, helping her up as well and leading her over to the others as they all stood under the awning as not to get wet. 

“Is she okay?” Jared asked, he and Jensen also stepping out onto the rooftop.

“Jared? Were you in the conversation too?” Tom gave a curious look, along with everyone else. 

“Oh, no. I overheard. Sorry for eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help it.” 

Tom nodded in understanding, looking down at Katy who seemed calmer, but almost like she was ashamed. “Katy honey, why don’t you go with Jared and Jensen back downstairs while I talk to our friends. I’ll be down shortly, and we can go.” 

“Okay,” she whispered, leaning into Tom’s touch as he kissed her head.

She gave a forced smile as she brushed past her friends and over to Jared who gave her a side hug, rubbing her arm to try and comfort her as he and Jensen lead her down. As soon as she was out of sight, Tom sighed and covered his face, letting his own tears fall. 

“Hey, hey! Tom it’s okay!” Chris tried to comfort him, his hand on Tom’s shoulder. 

“I almost lost her today!” he cried. “I almost lost the love of my life because I couldn’t comfort her, Chris!” 

“What happened Tom? Why was she even up here?” Robert questioned, gesturing over to where they were sitting moments ago. 

It took some time, but Tom got his emotions under control enough to talk. He had explained what had happened the day before, getting almost the exact same reaction out of them as he did with Jared earlier in the day. 

Once out of the stairwell, Jared had let go of Katy, the two now just walking with her to the lobby. “I’ll go get your things okay? I’ll be right back.” Jensen gave a smile to the girl before heading to the ballroom, leaving her with Jared. They stood in silence for the most part. Katy had her arms wrapped around herself, and her eyes at her feet. 

“Wow!” a woman scoffed, drawing Katy and Jared’s attention to her. It was a familiar blonde standing with her arms crossed and a smug look on her face as she looked down at Katy. “You look like shit! Didn’t your mom ever teach you not to cry in public?” 

 _Oh shit,_ Jared thought to himself, quickly grabbing onto Katy as she lunged toward Taylor. “Katy, calm down!”

“You leave my mother _out_ of this, Swift!” Katy yelled, her emotions on the surface once again, tears welling up in her eyes. “You can say whatever the hell you want about me, I don’t care! But leave my mother out of this! She raised me well, I’ll have you know!” Her hair fell on her face as she struggled to try and get out of Jared’s grip, finally giving in. 

Taylor only smirked, leaning closer to her knowing that Katy couldn’t get to her. “Says the one who just tried to hit me.” Her voice was low and venomess as she spoke. 

“Speak fowl of the dead again, and I’ll do more than hit you, _miss Swift,_ ” Katy returned the look and tone, still pulling away from Jared a little. 

Taylor scoffed again, backing up and giving Katy a shocked look. “Was that a threat, Katy?” 

Katy stood up straight, glaring at Taylor, “Nope, it’s a fucking warning” 

Before Taylor could respond, a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, the woman looking back with slightly wide eyes. Jensen stood behind her with a shit eating grin on his face and purse in hand. “Sorry Miss Swift, but can you give Katy some air? She’s had a hard couple of days and doesn’t need that pitchy voice of yours making it worse.” 

Her jaw dropped with his comment, dumbfounded and unable to do anything other than stutter a response before stomping her foot and rushing off, bumping shoulders with Tom as she walked by. 

Tom raised an eyebrow at the woman, muttering in an apology for bumping into her. He stared at her for a moment before looking to where she was coming from, seeing Katy, Jared, and Jensen all in that direction. _Well this can’t be good._ “Hey, what was up with that?” he questioned, walking up to the three. 

“Oh!” Jensen said in a cheery tone, giving Tom a kind grin. “Katy stood up for herself and I insulted her singing, nothing to be concerned about.” Tom gave a slight chuckle at the explanation. The group said their goodbyes, then Katy and Tom were off back to the hotel, the whole drive silent.  

Once in the room, Tom sat down on the bed, his head in his hands as he thought of a way to start the conversation. 

“Tom? Are you alright?” Katy asked quietly, rubbing his back a little. 

“What were you thinking?” Katy’s blank eyes glanced at him in confusion. “What... were you _thinking!_ ” he shouted, looking up at her. As Katy took a step back, she noticed his eyes were already red and puffy, just from those short moments. 

She shrank back under the harsh voice but didn’t provide an answer. Tom set his teeth and huffed. “Do you know what would have happened if you had… If you had died? Do you know how your brother would have acted - or what your loved ones would have done? How would you feel if either Kenny or I did exactly what you did?” He now stood in front of her, towering over her cowering form. 

“I…”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, breathing in deeply. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much Katy and I can’t imagine life without you. _I don’t want to spend it without you._ ” His eyes locked with hers and there was so much shock and awe and horror that he almost chuckled. 

“I’m sorry, Tom. truly, from the deepest depths of my heart, I’m sorry,” she cried, clutching onto her dress. “I don’t know what came over me! I was just so overwhelmed with grief, my heart couldn’t take it and didn’t know what else to do!” 

“You could have come to me, Katy!” his voice finally broke, his posture mirroring hers. 

Katy stared at him, eyes wide with sadness and horror. She then dropped her head, eyes closed tight. “I know I should have… I just… I didn’t want you to worry about me, Tom. I wanted to be strong for you, and I didn’t want to ruin your reputation because of something I did…” 

“Oh, _fuck_ my reputation, Katy.” Her head snapped up, Tom’s tone now a little more harsh than it was. “I wouldn’t have cared about my reputation, Katy! I’m not a prick. _You_ would have been my focus, _you_ would have been my worry!” 

“That’s just who I am! I have a hard time letting people in on my emotions! Normally, I would just cry myself to sleep in the darkness of my lonely room until I feel better!” she groaned, pulling at her hair. “I worry about other people, hear their problems and help them through hard times if I can, but I don’t let people do the same for me.”

“But you aren’t understanding that I want to be that person! I want to be the person who holds you when you’re sad and cries with you! I want to be the one that you’re comfortable telling your feelings to, so you don’t feel alone!” 

The fight continued before ending with the room silent again, backs toward one another. They both knew they couldn’t go to sleep mad at each other, no matter how long they were awake, but right now, they were both too full of emotion to think of what to do next. 

Tom bit his lip, eyes closed tight. _Do it, Tom._ his heart pounded in his chest, and his hands were a little clammy. “Marry me.” 

“ _What?_ ” Katy questioned, turning to look at him, her arms still crossed. When she turned, he was now holding a tiny box, opening it as he walked over to her. When he met her gaze, his eyes were now soft and kind and his cheeks were still red, but there wasn’t a hint of anger left on his face. 

“I was going to wait till new years, but after today’s events, I can’t wait any longer.” He got down on one knee and cleared his throat, opening the box as he began his speech, Katy’s hands over her mouth to quiet her gasp as she realized he wasn’t joking. 

“Starting with what I confessed on the roof, I love you. I love you with a depth and passion that I have felt for no one else in this life. I never hoped, aspired, or dreamed, that one could find everything one wanted in one person. I was not such an idiot just to believe this was possible. Yet in _you,_ I found everything I want. 

“You are beautiful, cheerful, giving, gentle, idiotically and deliciously feminine. Sexy, wonderfully intelligent, and wonderfully silly as well. I want nothing else in this life than to be with you… To listen and watch you. Your beautiful voice, your beauty. To argue with you, to laugh with you. To show you things and share things with you. To explore your _magnificent_ mind, to explore your… wonderful body. To help you, to protect you, to serve you and bash you on the head when I think you’re wrong. 

“Not to put too fine a point on it, I consider I’m the only man outside mythology to have found the clock of gold at the rainbows end. So, to sum this all up, would you, Kathryn Ann Hart,  do me the honor of becoming my wife, and making me the happiest man on Earth?” 

After the speech, Katy couldn’t help but let tears fall from her eyes, and laughter escaped her lungs, the girl practically laughing her ass off. _Of all the things..._

The gesture was contagious, making Tom smile and laugh a little as well. “My dear, why are you laughing?” he chuckled. 

“We fight and then you get down and propose to me, reciting word for word a proposal speech from a book, you silly man!” she laughed some more before wiping her tears from her eyes, finally calming down. “Of course, Tom. There would never be a day where I would say no.” 

With her answer to the question, Tom’s smile grew tenfold, the man taking the ring out of the box, and taking her left hand in his right. When his eyes landed on the promise ring that Katy’s mom had given her, he knew it must have stung just a little, his gaze meeting hers. 

“I know it must hurt, my love, but it doesn’t mean the ring can’t still be special to you, only special in a different way.” Katy nodded, a smile still on her face as she whispered ‘I know’ to him. Tom of course returned the smile, slipping the ring onto her hand. It was a rose gold band, with a large Alexandrite moonstone as the centerpiece, two lavender colored on each side of the larger stone. 

As Tom stood, Katy wrapped her arms around his neck, Tom wrapping his around her waist and spinning her around a little in the room. “I love you Tom, more than anything” she whispered into his neck, refusing to let go. 

“I love you too, Katy,” he replied, setting her down and cupping her face as he kissed her softly. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers, her face still in his hands as he stroked her cheek. “I’m sorry for yelling at you, please forgive me…” 

“I already did.”

* * *

Wednesday rolled around and it was time for the funeral. Surprisingly, there were more people than they had expected, having to bring out foldable chairs for the extra people. Not only were there friends and family that they had known for years, but also the celebrities that Katy had met and become friends with since she’d gotten together with Tom. 

Katy’s dress was on the longer side, ending at the center of her shins. The sleeves of said dress were a thin black lace draped over her shoulders, much like a shawl, and stopped right below her breasts. For her shoes, she wore simple black pumps, short enough for her to walk properly but still on the higher side. She wore her hair straightened, like usual, but half was pulled back, her mother’s old horse hairpin holding her hair. It was funny, because she wasn’t even given it, but she stole it when she was a girl and has just had it since then. Her makeup was simple and natural, wearing a shade of lipstick almost the same shade as her skin, with brown eyeshadow and mascara. 

For Tom, the only thing differentiating him from Loki currently was his hair. Every article of clothing was black, from his tie to his shoes. His long curly hair was slicked back, and his beard trimmed. Kenny, was also in all black, but a little different style from the others. He wore a black felt hat with a rattlesnake skin hatband. His Western boots, shirt, and vest were also black, along with his jeans. His tie was the only thing not black (aside from the hatband). To represent his mom, the tie was red, her favorite color, and he had a gardenia in the pocket of his vest. 

Her mom, in ghost form, wore one of her favorite western outfits that she had loved so much and had been her signature attire when she was alive. She sat on the casket, observing everyone give their regards to her family she left behind. There was a bittersweet look on her face that almost seemed plastered on. One thing that made the day a little better, was that Tom convinced Katy and Kenny to let Tony sit with the family. Of course they had agreed, knowing that their mom wasn’t even allowed to sit with the family at her own mother’s funeral. They knew it was the right decision, but it didn’t mean they had to like it. 

The first thing to happen were speeches, one by Kenny, one by their uncle, and one by Tony. The speeches came and went and then everyone walked forward, row by row, and placed a flower in front of the casket on the floor, the flowers piling up. 

After the first row of flowers, Katy went up front to the stage/altar area, and the music began to be played on the piano by Tom Ellis, how Ironic. 

 

_Lay down your head_

_And I’ll sing you a lullaby_

_Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay._

 

_And I’ll sing you to sleep_

_And I’ll sing you tomorrow_

_Bless you with love for the road that you go._

 

_May you sail far_

_To the far fields of fortune_

_With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet._

 

_And may you need never_

_To banish misfortune_

_May you find kindness in all that you meet._

 

_May there always be angels_

_To watch over you_

_To guide you each step of the way._

 

_To guard you and keep you_

_Safe from all harm_

_Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay._

 

At this point, Tom’s heart couldn’t help but race. He had heard her sing along to the music in the car and found it completely adorable, but he had never heard her put effort into her singing. Yes, they were at a funeral, but he couldn’t help but feel amazed by the talent of his fiancee. 

Diane, who still sat atop her casket, smiled at her daughter, and cried as she listened to the lyrics. She had never heard the song before, so it must have been something she had found specifically for this, which made the lyrics more meaningful to her. 

“I never knew she could sing.” 

Diane’s attention was drawn to Iro, who now stood next to her with her arms crossed. She was dressed in a black victorian ruffle blouse, tucked into the typical englishman-plaid pants that were short at the ankle but high at the waist, wine-red suspenders over her shoulders. Her long white hair was now in a braid draped over her shoulder. 

“You’re still here? Shouldn’t you be home?” Diane questioned, eyebrows raised. 

“I’m leaving soon. I wanted to make sure Katy would be okay before I left, and I think Tom finally got through to her, so she’ll be just fine.” 

“What do you mean by that?” She knew Tom had been with her the whole time, but what did she miss? Iro only tapped her wedding ring on her own hand, which seemed to be enough of a hint. Diane snapped her head back to her daughter, seeing the ring on her left hand. It wasn’t the purity ring she had given her quite a few years ago, it was a sparkling new one, causing a large smile to appear on her face, along with a few tears in her eyes. She was relieved, she hadn’t left her family behind to go through this alone. 

“You know,” Iro started, scratching the back of her neck, “you could hold her again, if you really wanted to.” 

This raised some suspicion. Diane narrowed her eyebrows, looking Iro up and down before responding. “How?” 

“You could come with me back through the portal. If you did, you’d have a physical body again. Since Katy comes there so often, you could see her, in a way.” 

Diane seriously considered it. It broke her heart that she wasn’t able to say goodbye to her children, and she would give almost anything to at least be able to do that. But something inside her told her she shouldn’t. 

Iro smiled, already knowing her decision. She placed her hand on Diane’s shoulder, directing the smile to her. “Don’t stay too long, okay? He’ll let you come down for the wedding.” She then gave the woman a kind kiss on the cheek, the touch almost feeling like Katy’s on Diane’s cheek. Iro walked away, toward the back room where the door now was. 

Diane ran after her, catching her as she was walking through the door swirling with color. “Please keep her safe for me!” she begged, hoping the woman heard. 

Iro turned and smiled yet again, giving her mom a salute. “With my life, Diane. I swear it.” The door closed, and that was that. 

 

_May you bring love_

_And may you bring happiness;_

_Be loved in return_

_To the end of your days._

 

_Now fall off to sleep_

_I’m not meaning to keep you_

_I’ll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay._

 

_May there always be angels_

_To watch over you_

_To guide you each step of the way._

 

_To guard you and keep you_

_Safe from all harm_

_Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay._

 

Katy continued the last line as the music slowly died off. Once the song had ended, she walked off the stage and sat back down next to Tom and Kenny, Tom taking her hand immediately and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

“I’m so proud of you, my children,” Diane whispered, kneeling in front of her kin with her hands on their knees. “Live long, be happy, and move on from the pain.” She couldn’t help the tears falling from her eyes as she saw the pain and heartache in theirs. “Please find it in your hearts to forgive him, because I have,” she continued to whisper, even if they couldn’t hear her. She didn’t want to leave them. She wanted to stay and watch them grow old and start their own families. Though she wanted to stay and watch her daughter walk down the aisle and marry the man she loved and make a toast at their wedding. 

At the entryway of the church, the doors creaked open, a bright white light shining into the room. Immediately, her overwhelming emotions were gone and she felt the calmest she’s ever felt. A familiar face drew her closer and closer to the light. Before she knew it, she was holding onto the hand of her mother at the doors, looking back at her family. “I love you,” she whispered once more before following her mom. 

“Iro!” Loki let out a sigh of relief, wrapping his arms around his wife and burying his face into her neck, his hand on the back of her head to keep her close. He had missed the sweet scent of gardenias she gave off. Iro of course returned the hug, not wanting to let go of her husband. 

“What happened? Were you too -” he was cut off by Iro’s lips crashing onto his, the man melting into her touch. “Min skjebne?” he whispered, holding her face in his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb. By the look on her face, she seemed conflicted, a mix of sadness and happiness dancing on her face. Although her eyes twinkled with lust. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispered kissing him once again. They were now in their bedroom, Loki’s legs up against the edge of the bed, “I just want you, my love.” There was almost a growl in her tone as she pushed Loki onto the bed, straddling his lap as she bit his neck. 

“If you insist, darling,” he returned the growl, grabbing her waist and flipping her, his hair falling in front of his face as he looked down at his wife. “I’ll show you how much I missed you,” he whispered, doing just that, making love to her throughout the night, the two falling asleep in each others arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that sure was an interesting chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to write, but hopefully y’all enjoy it. Also, WHO IS FLIPPING STOKED FOR THE MARVEL SHOWS!?!? I wasn’t watching the Super Bowl, but my friend was on her phone and I caught like, the center of the ad and I was like “WHAT WAS THAT” AND THEN IT WAS THE LOKI LOGO AND I JUST ABOUT HAD A HEART ATTACK. Anyway, y’all enjoy!  
> ~ K-The-Queen
> 
> That moment work is busy but slow enough that you can edit 20 pages of a document before the shift change. I may also just read fast.  
> ~ Lumos2000


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